


To feed an Edd

by Titsonagoose



Category: Ed Edd n Eddy
Genre: M/M, Slow Burn, Succubus Edd, bc succubus allure and how it works, consent is discussed and talked about tho, i promise a happy ending always, non-con elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:53:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 28,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28053462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Titsonagoose/pseuds/Titsonagoose
Summary: On Eddward Vincent's 18th birthday he came into his demonic inheritance.
Relationships: Edd "Double D"/Kevin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theres another succubus Edd story on here and it's very cute but I've been in kiiiind of an angst mood lately so... yeah. I actually started writing this before I started rewriting of Skirts and Edd so I think It's high time I posted the first chapter.

Edd shuddered as he tried to unlock his front door. He was dizzy and his vision had started turning black at the edges. He swayed on the spot and only just caught himself on the door jam dropping his keys in the process. He wobbled and tried to fish them off the ground but standing his vision went black and he gripped the door knob to stay up. Slowly his vision came back and he continued his quest to open his goddamn front door.

After a week without anything to eat he could barely stand. The walk home left him exhausted and school was even worse. The place he’d once felt the most at ease was now a place he dreaded being. The awful stench of sexual frustration tainted his sanctuary of learning and made him deliriously hungry now that the usual fare of earthly foods was no longer a viable way to obtain energy.

Eddward “Double D” Vincent was a succubus and on the night of his 18th birthday he came into his demonic inheritance. 

It didn’t completely catch him off guard; he'd grown his horns as a baby, an obvious tell of his heritage that he used his signature hat to cover. However he’d grown some newer features and they were much harder to hide. His wings, small and bat-like, were still a bit too obvious in most shirts and it would only get worse as they grew large enough to fly with, though that may never happen if he continued to deprive his body of sustenance. As uncomfortable as it was he had learned he could wrap them around his torso and tape them down. He had to wear a cardigan or loose sweater vest to hide the odd bulging, but as It was winter now it didn’t rouse any suspicion. He also didn’t want to think about what the upcoming summer would be like now that his body ran a constant 106F and even now in low 20 degree weather he was unseasonably warm. His tail was much easier to hide in comparison, though it occasionally seemed to have a mind of its own and resisted being taped to his leg.

His vision faded in and out and he tried to find the lock with his unsteady hands alone.

The worst part however had been his new diet. Tangible food could no longer satisfy him, now he could only feed off of the sexual energy from men he siphoned energy from through sexual acts. He would have been fascinated by the science of how exactly that worked if it hadn’t been so mortifying. 

Nearly as bad was his ‘allure,’ but at least that he understood and could control. Allure was a specific type of pheromone that made him sexually appealing to those who he would feed off of. It really would have been intriguing if it wasn’t him who was going through it. 

He dropped his keys again and he let out an affected sigh. 

He had been making trips to different bars, clubs and even less savory cruising spots but it always made him feel… dirty. He didn’t hate sex per se but the necessaity of anonymous sex was taxing. He tried to avoid it as much as he could, going as infrequently as his body allowed. Unfortunately the time between his feedings seemed to be getting shorter. It had been a week give or take at the beginning before he’d start feeling the effects of hunger, but now he could no longer go three days without feeling like a husk. 

He slowly picked up his keys, took a breath and steadied his hand and- fuck wrong key.

After seven days without food he knew what dying of hunger felt like. He refused to give in during school days but his starvation was quickly catching up to him. He feared soon his grades would start to suffer. 

How was he supposed to keep up in his final year if he spent half of his time exhausted from starvation? How would he succeed at college? A job? 

He groaned and pressed his forehead to the cool door trying to steady himself; spots were dancing in his vision. He knew he needed to make more frequent trips but the idea of going to do _that_ during the school week just didn’t sit right with him. He had club activities and schoolwork to do and right now school took precedent over maintaining a _ridiculous_ sex based diet. He truly hadn’t realized how difficult his life was going to become just mere months ago. 

Edd was so focused on his troubles and trying to get his shaking hands to cooperate that when he heard someone whistle, sharp and loud, behind him it shocked him into dropping his keys for the third time since getting to his door. He spun around, startled, to find the source of the noise laughing at him. 

The school jock and Edd’s long time neighbor, Kevin Barr, stood behind him. He had a duffle bag thrown over his shoulder, trying and failing to hold in a chuckle at Edd’s reaction. 

“Hey, Double dor- D,” He started, an obvious slip up, but ignorable Edd decided. He didn’t have the energy to be annoyed. 

“I was wondering…” he continued but stopped. The dork had bags under his eyes and looked like he was going to faint at any second. Seeing Double D as anything but chipper was weird.

“I’m sorry, What Kevin?” Edd asked, impatient. He had just paused and was staring. He wondered how he looked right now, it must have been bad if it elicited such pause.

Kevin shifted his bag, took a few steps forward and picked up Edd’s dropped keys. “'Uh, I was wondering if I could stay here for the weekend.” 

Edd’s already pale pallor went sheet white. “What?” He was too shocked to even notice Kevin trying to hand him his keyring. 

“My house is being fumigated. My dad accidentally brought home bed bugs from his last business trip and well,” He gestured to his bag. “I was wondering if I could stay over here.” 

Edd looked over at the Barr residence and indeed there was a large tarp over the house with a sign for a fumigation service.

“Why wouldn’t you stay with your parents.” Edd was close to breaking out into a sweat. Could he say no? He never was good at holding his ground especially against Kevin, he’d always been pushy and hardheaded. He couldn’t remember a time growing up where he didn’t get his way.

“My parents went to my aunt’s place and they don’t really have enough room.” He shrugged. 

“Aren’t you closer to Nazz or Rolf than me.” Edd could picture his weekend plans for obtaining his next meal swirling down the drain. He gulped down a knot in his throat. He wasn’t sure he’d survive another few hours, let alone a few _days_ without eating. 

“Nazz’s parents said no cause they don’t want a guy staying over and you wouldn’t make me sleep in the same room as Rolf’s goat, would you?” Kevin was begging. Noticing Edd seemed too preoccupied with being stunned to take his keys back, Kevin unlocked the door and made the universal motion for 'you first.'

Edd hesitated. “What about one of your friends on the team. Are you not close to Nat?”

Kevin rolled his eyes and walked in, surprising Edd by removing his shoes at the door immediately. “Come on dude, you’re my only hope. Nat’s parent’s don’t let people over and I’m starting to get desperate here.” 

Curse his good nature. Even a demon couldn’t say no to someone asking for help point blank. ‘Maybe that’s why there’s so many stories of people making deals with us,’ Edd mused with a sigh.

“Alright Kevin. I suppose you can stay in the guest bedroom.” It wasn’t like he ate his meals at home anyway.

“Thanks dude, You’re the best!” Kevin whooped and threw his arm over Edd’s shoulder for a quick side hug. The sweet scent of sexual frustration clung to him and Edd’s hunger rose. He felt his tail thrashing at its bindings and his eyes narrowing from round to slitted pupils in preparation for _low light_ activities.

He knew he couldn’t skip on his meal plan tonight or Kevin would surely end up in the line of fire if his body’s response to the smell of him was anything to go off of. 

He clamped down hard on his allure and lip. The physical contact was spurring on his pheromone response, he could feel it close to bubbling over. While it was easy enough to control when well fed, it was still a bodily function and reigning it in so consistently was starting to take its toll. 

“Dude, You okay? You’re looking pretty sick.” Kevin said, removing his arm. 

“Yes Kevin,” Edd swallowed down bile, he knew he probably was starting to look green, “Just vertigo, I assure you.” 

Kevin wasn’t convinced but kept his mouth shut. He was bumming off of Double dork for the weekend and figured he shouldn’t pry. 

“How about I order Pizza, my treat. As a thanks for letting me stay?” He watched Double D remove his shoes and move towards the stairs. He followed him up to be shown to where he’d be staying. 

Edd winced internally when he realized he’d have to suffer the motions of human normalcy while Kevin was over. Eating food had become a non-habit in the last two months. Not to mention the _other_ side effects. In his already weakened state he knew he wouldn’t be able to eat without making more problems for himself.

“Actually Kevin, I have plans out tonight and was going to pick up food then.” Not technically a lie though usually his food was the one ‘picking up' him. 

“Oh, where are you headed?” Kevin asked politely. With how sick the nerd was looking he should just be staying home in bed. Going out in his state seemed dangerous. 

“There’s a bookstore at an outlet mall over in ElmDale. I was planning on picking up some new reading material and visiting the cafe.” A cafe well known as a cruising spot was unspoken. He opened the door to the guest room and ushered Kevin in.

“Choice, I was thinking about picking up new football cleats. Mind If I tag along?” Kevin dropped his bag on the bed and started to rifle through it. If he was staying over and the nerd got into a car accident he probably wouldn’t be able to stay.

Edd wanted to scream but he quelled his temper tantrum and plastered on a tight lipped smile. “Of course Kevin…. However I tend to take a long time picking out books. I can sometimes find myself lost in the racks for hours. So… If that’s inconvenient…” He tried.

“Nah, I haven’t been for awhile and I can window-shop around. And what’s the point of going all the way over there if you’re not gonna stay awhile.” The idea of Edd out for hours in this state seemed unlikely anyway.

Edd groaned internally, he’d find a way to work around this. He’d just have to be quicker than normal. 

“Mind if I shower first?” Kevin asked. The redhead already had his toiletries bag and towel out. 

“Of course,” Edd said, forcing the annoyance out of his voice. More time before he could eat, “Right this way.”

* * *

The ride over was tense. At first Edd was going to drive but Kevin insisted with how sick he was looking he should take the passenger seat. It was a nice gesture but Edd was always nervous when anyone else drove and his hand would fly to the handlebar above the window every time they so much as changed lanes. Halfway there Kevin pulled over and let Double D take the wheel. 

With the window rolled down the fresh air helped clear Edd’s head and took the edge off his dizziness.

By the time they got to the mall the December air was crisp and the sun was dipping down over the horizon. It was still early but the short winter days ensured they’d be driving home in the dark. 

They’d managed to snag a parking spot right in front of the bookstore and Edd quickly parted from Kevin and ducked into it. The whole storefront was glass and the redhead stood back and watched from the knickknack store across the street with suspicion. 

Obviously he picked up on the smaller man’s hints he wanted to come alone but something seemed off. He couldn’t figure out why but the dork seemed _different_. He really did originally plan not to meddle but Double D seemed frantic and jumpy, like he was hiding something. It was mildly concerning, sure, but also the first interesting thing in Peach Creek since the Eds stopped pulling their scams. He always seemed to be high-strung but this wasn’t his usual brand of neurosis and Kevin wanted to know what he was up to. 

At first it seemed Edd was doing as he said, but rather than dawdling he knew exactly where each book was and was at the register in record time. He went outside and dropped his books off in the car and moved to the little cafe with ‘Qualm’ written on its windows.

'Well that was boring' Kevin thought and rolled his eyes at his own suspicion. Maybe he was just hungry and decided to hit the cafe early. Of course the nerd wasn’t up to anything. The guy was just nervous to have someone in his house, probably because of his compulsive cleanliness. He was likely just worried Kevin was going to be messy or something.

The lady at the cash register kept giving him withering looks for just standing there staring out the window so he picked up a chocolate bar and stood in line. 

He ate the chocolate as he made his way to pass the cafe to the shoe store and took a sidelong glance through the window, wondering what they had. He stopped in his tracks and blinked at what he saw though. 

He blinked in confusion but no, that was definitely him. Double D, the nerdiest guy in the school, saddled up next to an older man. The guy had a hand on his knee and Edd was whispering into his ear. His eyes were half lidded and he had on a flirty smile Kevin didn’t know could exist on his face. When he pulled away from the guy he stood up and the man scampered to follow like a dog in heat. Edd stopped in front of the man sitting across from them and leaned in to whisper to him too. He also went to follow and the two grinned from ear to ear at their score. 

Kevin ducked behind a pole, putting up his hood and watched as the two men chatted the dork up. One had put his hand in the back pocket of Edds pants as they walked. He couldn’t hear them over the whipping December wind but it was obvious from their body language alone exactly what was going on. Kevin took notice of the direction they started walking in and flushed. A motel stood across the street with a blinking neon sign. 

No way. 

There was no possible way this dweeb was going into a motel with not just one unknown man, but two. They stood at the crosswalk and chatted, the men didn’t seem like they could take their hands off of him for a second. When the crosswalk signaled they started across the street and yep, there was no doubt they were headed to the motel. 

The first guy went into the lobby to pay and the other pushed Double D up against the wall and gave him sloppy open mouthed kisses till the other guy came back with the key. Double D’s leg had made its way around the second guy's waist during their make out session, the first one leaned in and gave him his own filthy kiss. They unlocked the motel door as the first man's hands trailed up Edd’s shirt, he grabbed the wandering hand and pulled him into the room. A car passed and the door closed leaving Kevin staring at the space they left behind in confusion.

Kevin stood there, unable to come to terms with what he just saw. All he could think to do was go buy the shoes he came for. He tried to browse but just couldn’t stop thinking about what he had just witnessed and he ended up just buying the first pair he looked at, mind too preoccupied to weigh his options.

He couldn’t have been in the cafe for 5 minutes. Did he plan to meet them? It didn’t seem like it the way they looked surprised and so fucking pleased with themselves. Even more, those guys seemed way too old for him. They had to be in their late 20’s, maybe even their 30’s! Was that what the dweeb is into? 

He just couldn’t process it. Double D effortlessly pulling in a dude would be shocking enough, 2 was pushing it, but the clean-freak Edd, the guy known for his aversion to all things unclean, making out with randos? Being pushed up against a dirty wall at a skivvy motel? That took it from weird to certifiably unreal.

He decided to watch the motel from the vantage point of the nearby diner and picked up a burger. After two hours had passed and nothing had happened he was starting to get nervous. No one came or went, the room they went into was still and dark from outside and lights from different shops were blinking off. Kevin looked at his phone. 8:32. He considered calling before realizing they never exchanged numbers. Another ten minutes passed and Kevin was seriously getting worried, tapping his foot and ripping up his napkin into strips. 

Was there some sort of back door? Had he been murdered and dumped in the alley? Should he go check the window to see if they were even still there? When Edd finally exited the motel, the two men were nowhere in sight and Kevin breathed a sigh of relief that he didn’t know he’d been holding. 

Kevin watched as Edd walked back towards the car, humming and smiling. The upbeat, cheerful Double D he remembered was back and he no longer seemed to be on the verge of collapse; his previously clammy face was now fresh and dewy and he had a spring in his step. He definitely didn’t look like he just fucked two dudes, but the way those guys were touching him earlier left no room for the idea they hadn’t done _something_. 

Thoughts bounced around in his head but nothing seemed to make sense. Why was he suddenly so healthy after just having been sickly? Since when was Double D someone who had casual sex? It just didn’t make sense for the person he had grown up with. It shook him to think Edd wasn’t the person he thought he was. But if he wasn’t then who was this new Edd?

He grabbed his shoebox from the seat next to him and he went to meet up at the car. 

Edd was sitting in the driver's seat looking relaxed, chair slightly reclined. Kevin watched for a moment. Nothing about him seemed like it screamed ‘just fucked’ despite what he saw. No out of place hair or rumpled clothes. Just the dork he thought he knew, same as he ever was.

He knocked on the window, causing Edd to jerk up in freight. Kevin couldn’t even find it in himself to be amused. He unlocked the car and Kevin got in. Some classical piece was playing on the stereo before Edd turned it down to barely a whisper.

“How was your shopping trip?” Edd asked, an easy smile on his face.

“It was fine.” Kevin grunted. Brandishing his shoe box. “Got what I came for."

“I’m glad.” He said simply before turning the key in the ignition. “I did as well.” He motioned to the bookstore bag but Kevin knew that was definitely not what he was referring to.

“So where were you?” Kevin decided to ask, aiming for nonchalance, wondering how Edd would react being caught out. “After like an hour I got bored and went by the bookstore and the cafe but I didn’t see you.” 

“Oh,” Edd’s eyebrows scrunched up. “I spent most of my time at the bookstore. Maybe you came by when I was in the bathroom. Or in the corner with a book.” 

Kevin's eyebrows disappeared under his hat. What an easy lie. He remembered as kids the dork seemed to be incapable of lying, period. He always stuttered and mumbled through whatever Eddy had forced him to say. 

“Hm, must have.” Kevin replied. “Did you eat?” 

“Oh yes. The cafe has a very good Caprese sandwich.” Edd said, turning onto the freeway.

Another lie. Why would he lie about eating? Wouldn’t he just be hungry when he got home? “Sounds like chick food.” 

“Gendering food is going to miss you out on many delicious things.” He chided. “Both men and women can appreciate good food I assure you.” 

Edd’s teacher voice was just too funny in this situation. He had just definitely screwed two dudes, possibly at once and he was going to lecture about food? 

Kevin started laughing and Edd pouted. 

“There is nothing funny about sexism, Kevin.” The word ‘sex' coming from him was even funnier as he doubled over in the passengers seat.

“Sorry, D, it’s just -pftthahaha- you’re so serious!” 

“Well it’s a serious matter!” He said a blush on his face.

“I know dork-o I was just messing with you.” 

Well everyone had needs. At least he knew the dork was human and not some automaton. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've already got a few chapters written and mostly ready to post and I'm already kind of fliting between this and 2 other fics as I get inspired for them. Hopefully ya'll like it so far. Also I don't actually plan to use c2ndy2cid's character, his name is just kind of a cameo.


	2. Chapter 2

Ok. Maybe he was wrong. 

'The double dork is definitely a robot.’ Kevin thought, staring into the fridge. There was nothing. It was sparkling clean and unplugged from the wall. He looked around the kitchen, the pantry did have food but mostly cans and boxes of things that needed refrigerated materials to do anything with. There were some snacks but they seemed to be more to the other Ed’s tastes then Double D’s or his own. 

Kevin had gotten up at 6am, his usual time to get in his morning exercise and breakfast before school, or on weekends, a nap. He had finished his morning run and went to see what the Vincent household kept around for the most important meal of the day. It seemed the answer was ‘absolutely nothing’. Which seemed far too odd for someone as anal about health as Double D. 

‘Speak of the Devil’ Kevin thought as a sleepy Edd came down the stairs. It was about 7am. Kevin was almost surprised Edd got up later than him, but then it was Saturday. Even nerds needed a lie-in sometimes, he guessed.

“Hey Double D what’s with the fridge?” Kevin asked. Edd froze. Shocked from the question or from not remembering someone was staying over Kevin wasn’t sure. 

“It... Broke the other day. The food spoiled and I have yet to call maintenance.” Kevin couldn’t be sure if that sounded like a lie but why else would someone’s fridge be like that? He decided to accept it, it was too early to be suspicious. 

“Well, I still owe you one so how about I take you out for breakfast?” Kevin asked. 

Edd internally groaned. He’d need to go feed again before the weekend was up if he bended to Kevin’s constant food whims. He managed to avoid it last night but he nearly forgot how much humans ate. 

He missed eating quite a bit if he was being honest, which is why he’d emptied the fridge and only kept foods that Ed and Eddy liked around the house, to curb his temptation. He also didn’t enjoy the way he felt after. Like he needed to go prowl, the animalistic desire it stirred up wasn’t something he wanted to get used to. Not eating would definitely look suspicious though and he didn’t need a worried Kevin on his back.

“I suppose that sounds agreeable.” He sighed, resigning himself to a Sunday night refresher trip. Probably to the bar in Lowtree. They were pretty lax as long as you don’t actually order alcohol. It was always an easy place to just let someone come to him. 

“Let me shower and I’ll be back down.” Edd groggily said.

He had showered at the motel the other night after…. He blushed. He still wasn’t used to sex. It wasn’t always unenjoyable but it was most definitely a chore, especially since he never hit the same person twice which made it hard to know what he was getting into. Some nights the men just wanted plain vanilla sex, other times he was subjected to far stranger sexual desires. Last night was nothing too extreme but the stretch of double penetration left him feeling a little wobbly on his feet. Double the meal though, which was almost worth it.

He turned the water to cold and stood under the spray. 

* * *

His first sexual encounter was traumatic to say the least. On his birthday Eddy took him to a club in the Peach Creek central known for being gay friendly and 18+, which while not being his scene was a sweet gesture to show his acceptance of his friend’s sexuality. The place was small and the music too loud but Eddy and Ed seemed to be having fun dancing and really that was good enough for him, he had gotten cake and some presents earlier. He could put up with this for a little, for them. 

All at once though it was too hot, it became harder and harder to breathe. Everything hurt and he felt nauseous. He rushed to the toilets barely making it to a stall, knocking the door shut without locking it. He saw the birthday cake his friends bought him coating the toilet bowl. He gagged again as his body rejected the rest of the food in his system. 

His back and shoulders felt like they were being torn apart from the inside, which may very well have been what was happening. He scrambled to get his shirt off from both the extreme heat and the pain of it touching his back, the thin material felt like a thousand pins and needles being driven into his back. Just as he had removed it his new wings, as small as they were, tore through his flesh painfully. Blood splattered against the plastic divider and onto the tile floor. The pain was so intense he couldn’t even scream. Tears stung his eyes and he puked again, the pain making him even more nauseous, nothing but bile came up. Even his eyes hurt from changing, his pupils narrowing mading even the dim lighting in the bathroom burn.

He had known he was going to go through changes but he wasn’t expecting to deal with them so soon or all at once. He thought they would happen gradually. This wasn’t what his mother had told him would happen at all and he didn’t know why it was so different. He was terrified as another retch shook his body.

A guy in the stall next to him jumped when he saw blood and knocked on the door to check on him but Edd couldn’t hear him over the ringing in his ears and he just sobbed against the tidal wave of pain. Edd’s body was on FIRE. He needed…. he needed something. Every fiber of his being ached for something it had never known. Logically Edd knew it was sex but he didn’t feel aroused, he just _craved_ , but if he didn’t satisfy his need right in this moment he would die.

The man standing at the door was suddenly struck by a wall of pheromones so thick it was almost fog. His mind went blank with lust and he swung the door open and pushed Edd down. As much as Edd had wanted to run away he couldn’t. What he _could_ do was smell the man, not his cologne or deodorant but his wants, his desires. It was overbearingly strong but with nothing else to help he grabbed onto him like a ship in a storm. 

Edd’s body was sent into overdrive. Every place the man touched felt like soothing ice. When he’d been pushed to the wall he finally found his voice and screamed. The thumping music of the club covered the wail but the man had gotten the hint and turned him around, shoving his face into the wall instead of his tender wings and ripped his pants down. His new tail was just as painful and raw and it thrashed about, hitting against everything in the most uncomfortable way. When the other man grabbed it he expected pain but instead it was the most amazing thing he’d ever felt and he begged him to keep touching him, anywhere, everywhere. He begged him to take the pain away.

The man in his allure induced sex fog could barely think let alone plan and without any prep had pushed his way into Edd with one forceful thrust. The pain his whole body felt condensed into a single point until he’d tore through the ring of muscle. Suddenly the torture his body was under stopped. Pleasure filled the space left behind and he sobbed, this time in relief. The stretch and tear nothing in comparison to the pain he’d been feeling moments before.

While connected he could feel the overwhelming sexual pleasure his body was giving the other man and Edd was suddenly ravenous. After what felt like an eternity of being slammed against the divider the guy pulled out and he sat on the toilet. The moment he did an ocean of hurt washed over Edd before he was yanked down to sit in his lap. He grabbed Edd under the knees and bounced him in his lap and the pain was torn away again, the whiplash ripping a cry from Edd’s throat. At this point Edd couldn’t think, his fresh bloody wings flapped as he was pounded into. The rhythm was becoming more erratic and soon enough the man came inside of him with a moan. 

It felt like nothing he’d ever known. And he breathed in the soothing miasma of release. He felt calmer than he ever had and leaned back into his chest. Their breathing evened and Edd opened his eyes. His legs trembled with exertion. When his mind finally came back the man under him had gone slack. Energy was still pouring into him and part of him didn’t care that the guy was knocked out, he wanted to keep feeding. The rational part of him won over though and he jumped up frightened at what had just happened.

Had he taken too much at once? Was that possible? He shook the man and he groaned. His breathing was shallow. Edd checked his pulse at his neck. It was slow but not dangerously so. He backed away from the stall, threw his shirt on, pulled up his pants, and fled out the back entrance into the night. 

Ed and Eddy found him hours later at home crying. He was huddled in the shower running ice cold water to cool his heated body and to clean away the blood from his back. His wings and tail felt raw, clothes on the new appendages hurt and he was terrified of the way he had drained the man in the bathroom. 

He had worried that Ed and Eddy would abandon him once they knew what he was but when they saw him they didn’t yell in fear or run away, instead Ed wrapped the shaking succubus in a towel and helped him to his bedroom babbling nonsense that nevertheless soothed him. Eddy had grabbed the phone and called Double D’s mom with the emergency number hanging on the fridge. 

She told Eddy what her son would be going through for the next few days, things he needed, and other advice that Eddy diligently wrote down. When he was done Double D was handed the phone and he sniffled on the line as his mother cooed to him how everything would be fine. His transformation had been much more sudden and violent then hers and she cried with him that she couldn’t be there to help him. As bad as he felt his mother’s loving worry over the phone did make him feel better.

It was a hard night but his friends understood and cared and while they hadn’t known the full extent until then, they had stood by him. 

* * *

Edd pulled himself from his thoughts and finished up his shower routine and threw on some clothes to meet Kevin downstairs. He was doing push-ups in the living room. Without a shirt. Edd was transfixed. Kevin’s muscles were… exemplary. His constant exercise and sports did his body very well. He didn’t think he’d actually seen a 6 pack in person before. 

Kevin reached 20 and stood up to stretch and take a swig of water and spotted Double D, the look on his face unreadable. 

“I’m ready when you are Kevin.” He said, breezing down the staircase.

“Cool, I’m starved.” Kevin replied, yanking on his shirt and jacket as they made their way to Edd’s mom’s car. 

“So how long has the fridge been busted?” Kevin asked conversationally on the drive.

“It broke during the week,” Edd said, “but I was too busy with school to call a repairman over.” 

“You call on that kind of stuff? What about your parents?” He asked, Kevin didn’t really care but there seemed to be a weird atmosphere that he didn’t want to sit in anymore.

“They’re out of town. Oh, and I hope you don’t mind but Ed and Eddy usually come over around 2 on Saturdays. I help them with their homework before we play video games or watch movies until around bedtime.”

“I was wondering when I’d see Tweddle Dumb and Dumber this weekend.” Kevin grunted.

“I believe it would behoove you to not make fun of my friends while staying under my roof, Kevin.” Edd said icily. His eyes flicking to Kevin then back on the road. 

“I was messing. Ed ain’t so bad but, Ugh Eddy.” Kevin crossed his arms and huffed. Kevin and Eddy never did get along.

“While as ‘Ugh’ as you find Eddy, he is my friend and I won’t take fighting in my house. I know how he can be and I will admonish him if he tries to start anything but I expect you to behave as well.” Edd stated, matter-of-factly.

“Yes, Mom.” Kevin mocked, crossing his arms. 

“I’m quite serious Kevin. You are welcome to stay but I don’t want to have to break up arguments all night.”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it.” 

They reached the diner and took a booth in the back. Double D seemed absorbed in the menu, mumbling to himself about each option.

“Dude, are you doing math? Are you counting calories? Don’t you think you’re thin enough?” Kevin asked in rapid succession.

Edd turned red, flustered at being caught-out. “Well excuse me. I’m not exactly running around and kicking balls or whatever it is you do to stay in shape.” He knew it was weak but how could he explain ‘every calorie I eat is not energy gained but energy lost on digestion.’ 

“Dude you’re practically a stick, just eat whatever you want, I’m paying anyways.” 

And wasn’t that tempting. He shot a longing look towards the part of the menu labeled ’Sweet Starts', He did miss milkshakes. He shook his head as the waitress came by.

Kevin ordered some big breakfast plate with the works. Sausage, Bacon, eggs, hash browns, pancakes. Edd couldn’t imagine eating all that even before his unfortunate situation.

“Just a salad please.” He closed the menu. Kevin looked at him incredulously.

“Get him a milkshake too.” Kevin said to the waitress. 

“Kevin, I can order for myself and water is fine.”

“Dude I said it was on my tab, it’s no issue. I saw you eyeing them.”

Edd couldn’t rebuke that. He bit his lip before letting out a defeated sigh. “Strawberry then, please.” He said to the waitress who was smiling at the encounter. It must have been pretty funny to her because she chuckled as she wrote down the order.

“Of course,” She said, “Coming right up.”

“Don’t tell me you’re like one of those skinny girls who think they’re fat and throw up their food when no ones looking.” Kevin half joked, half seriously asked.

“No, I’m not anorexic or bulimic, Kevin. I just like to eat healthy. I don’t expend much energy on physical activity so it’s best to watch what I eat.” Edd explained. Besides he couldn’t throw up if he tried, his gag reflex was completely gone.

“Is it a gay thing?” Kevin asked, possibly too bluntly. It wasn’t exactly a secret that Double D was gay. Edd was in the GSA with Sarah, Jimmy, and Naz, who came out as bi freshman year, and from what he could tell Edd was out.

Edd, who was taking a sip of water, nearly started to choke. “That was a highly inappropriate question Kevin!” He said between coughs.

“Sorry, I mean, You are though aren’t you? Gay, I mean.” Kevin asked, handing the coughing boy a napkin.

“It’s not exactly your business, but yes. I am. Though I don’t think that has anything to do with my eating habits.” 

“Doesn’t it though? I don’t know any straight guys that eat like that. But all the cheerleaders seem to, y’know, do that whole ‘salad and water’ thing.”

Edd stared silently at Kevin for a beat. “Are you telling me you don’t drink water?” Edd finally asked and Kevin, sipping orange juice, was the one left sputtering this time. 

He laughed hard, until the food was in front of them. Edd still looked mildly distressed at the possibility that Kevin thought water was ‘a chick thing.’

“Of course I drink water Double D, holy shit.” He snickered. “But I don’t JUST drink water.”

The milkshake was placed in front of Double D and his eyes were drawn to it. Just a bit wouldn’t hurt… right? He’d need to recharge tomorrow night no matter to insure he was good for the entirety of the coming week of school anyway. He knew it was a bad idea but in for a penny as they say.

He then looked down at the salad. How much could he get away with leaving behind? But then… He hadn’t had anything in nearly a month and he’d _just_ had a meal. Surely it would be fine. He sighed and started eating.

“Do you not like the salad or something?” Kevin asked. The look on Edd’s face said he’d rather be eating glass. 

“It’s fine Kevin. I’m just noting how much the milkshake is going to throw off my… diet.” 

Kevin didn’t really know what to say to that but let it go and tucked into his own breakfast. 

Kevin noticed though that every time Double D took a sip he seemed to sigh and smile and by the end of the meal most of the milkshake had been drunk.

* * *

Kevin was trying to figure out if he should stick around or find someone else to hang with until the dork-fest was over. He looked at his bag. He did still have a little bit of homework, and Edd was the top of the whole school in basically everything, but he really didn’t want to stick around while Eddy was there. He decided to pick up his phone and see if Nazz or Rolf wanted to hang. 

Before he could send a text Nazz’s name appeared on the screen. 

>S.O.S. Dude! My brothers are going nuts! Need help! 

Kevin chuckled and sent back a text. 

>at double ds b there in 5

“Hey, Double D,” He approached his room. The door was ajar, so he peeked in. “Double D?” The room was spotless. Everything was so well organized that it was labeled. Who does that? The room also smelled really nice. This sort of soft scent permeated the room. He went downstairs and saw Edd pacing around the living room with a duster. How often did he clean?

As he took a step down that wonderful scent hit his nose like a boxing glove, stronger than before. 

“What is that?” Kevin asked, sniffing the air. 

Edd froze his frantic pacing. “What’s what?” He looked like he was trying to stay still but couldn’t. Twitchy, Kevin thought.

“That smell.” He said. “It’s…” He couldn’t describe it. It was like all his favorite smells wrapped up into one. It was kind of sweet, but also not. He couldn’t place it at all but it was nice.

“It must be my mother's scent diffuser.” Edd said facing away. “Excuse me.” Edd fled to the downstairs bathroom trying to calm down. 

This was the problem with even a light meal. Taking deep breaths he tried to hold it back. The last time this happened he had to ask his mother what to do. He couldn’t go on leaking pheromones all over the place. The answer was… quite embarrassing. The best he could do was feed… or simulate feeding. But it would be just too much to do THAT while someone was in the house though.

He heard a quick rap at the door. “Uh, Hey Double D, I’m gonna head out for a few hours. I’ll be back later. I’ll see you, okay?” Kevin said from outside the door. 

The smell seemed to be coming from the bathroom now. Kevin’s hands shook to open the door and…? And do what? He didn’t really know. It was driving him crazy though. 

“Alright,” Edd said, trying to keep everything in until Kevin was out the door. “I’ll see you later then.” 

Kevin left the house and headed towards Nazz’s place, trying to shrug off the weird smell and feeling it provoked in him.

* * *

As soon as Kevin left the house Edd had bolted upstairs and went for the box under his bed. While it embarrassed him to no end to buy the contents it was helpful during the week, even if it didn’t provide him sustenance. He took the smallish dildo from the box along with lube and a condom. 

He remembered going to the sex shop, Eddy in tow because he just 'Had to see this.' They made their way through the isles and at one point Eddy picked up a very realistic dildo and shouted “Look at this” At him and Double D had reflexively slapped it out of his hand. They both stared at the poor dildo on the floor for a few seconds before Edd went red to the roots of his hair and Eddy had laughed so hard they were nearly kicked out of the store. 

After that Edd had just grabbed the closest thing to him, lube, and a pack of condoms. He showed the woman at the counter his ID and tried not to hide under his hat for the rest of his life. When they left Eddy patted Edd’s back as he let out the rest of his embarrassment in the form of curling into a ball and yelling into his arms “I can’t believe I just…that was terrible! Kill me now!” He appreciated Eddy at least trying to hold back his guffaws.

He shook away the memory. He had an hour or so to… rid himself of his pheromones. 

'It had been months,' he chided himself. 'It’s silly to continue to be embarrassed of my body’s natural function. Sex is practically eating,' he thought. ‘But then what exactly is masterbation?’ He shook his thoughts away. It didn’t matter. He needed release and this was what he had to do now. He took it to the shower for a quick and easy clean up.

Edd stripped, rolled the condom onto the dildo, and lubed it liberally. He never could figure out what kind of position he should be in for this, and while it could be… satisfying it was always hard to get himself calm enough to enjoy it.

The toy had a suction cup so he stuck it to the bottom of the tub. Or should he have placed it on the wall? Edd sighed deeply. Why did it have to be him? Were other succubi this reticent to do something so normal for their bodies? Not that he’d met any other demons besides his mother, and he definitely didn’t want to think about that. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what it’s like in the moment. He always knew exactly what to do when confronted with a real person. His wiry thin tail wrapped around the toy, bringing it to his entrance. His small leathery wings flapped as if to help him stay upright. As he sunk down onto the dildo his body started to get in tune with its new heightened sensitivity. He smelled something… it smelt like… desire. Like someone who had been holding in sexual tension. It was very weak but it was close.

Kevin had left his towel on the rack. 

He shuddered at the smell and reached over, pulling it towards him. As he rutted against the toy it wasn’t enough. He put his nose to the towel and breathed deeply. He readjusted and suddenly the toy was bumping his prostate every other thrust. His tail wrapped around the base of the dildo, pulled up the suction cup, and with a wet noise it released from the tub. He placed the towel under him and buried his face back into the terrycloth. His tail continued to plunge the toy in, Edd’s hips in the air, pushing back into every thrust. After an especially hard strike to his sweet spot Edd couldn’t hold back any longer and came with a shout. His body twitched in the aftershocks as his tail didn’t seem to get the memo to stop for a few more thrusts.

He stood up on shaking legs, grabbed the towel and ran the shower to clean the tub. Without looking at it he put the towel in the wash, too mortified by what he had just done to even glance at it.

By the time the other Eds had arrived he had laundered the towel, placed it back and put Heather oil into the scent diffuser. While it mildly irritated his skin due to its use as a demonic repellent it also rid the house of the smell of his pheromones. Luckily they didn’t seem to affect Ed or Eddy but he wanted them gone before Kevin, who did seem to notice them, came back.

“Woof, It stinks in here.” Eddy complained while tossing his bag onto the couch. He had come in without knocking.

“Shoes, Eddy, Please!” 

Eddy groaned and complied, tossing them messily near the door, as Ed struggled to get his boots off his feet without unlacing them.

“I just diffused some oils. I know they aren’t the most pleasant but it was… Necessary.” Edd continued.

“I like it!” Ed said, “It smells like dirt!”

“Been putting off too much of your sex pollen?” Eddy teased

“Like a flower?” Ed added crashing to the ground, one shoe finally removed.

“I wish you wouldn’t joke about it. It is already uncomfortable enough as it is.” Edd helped Ed to his feet.

“I know bud. But if you can’t laugh at it, it’s prolly gonna be pretty hard to live with.” Eddy said pulling his books out and placing them on the coffee table, He knew better than to fight Double D about finishing homework anymore. “Besides, It’s pretty funny to see the most clean freak, anal retentive person in the world have to fuck to live. You’re basically living in an eroge.”

Edd made a noise of disgust in his throat. “Please do not talk to me about your degenerate sex video games.”

“They don’t speak in English Double D! The noises they make are alien!”

Eddy barked out a laugh “Yeah Double D.” he wheezed. “They must be. Hey Lumpy what do they sound like again?” 

“No wait! Ed, please don-”

Ed started a high pitched moaning, poorly imitating the sounds of the women on the porn games Eddy plays.

“Eddy, WHY did you show him those nasty games?” Edd was dismayed as Ed continued the noises. “Ed Please stop.”

Eddy continued to snort. "My console was still on and he happened to turn on the TV. Can’t stop this monster truck once he wants something, or else he’ll run ya over.” Eddy laughed, pulling Ed in for a noogie. “Ain’t that right big guy?”

“OW Eddy! I’ll Stop, I’ll stoooop!” Ed wined. Eddy let go. Double D had taken that moment to untie Ed’s other shoe.

“Eddy! You noogied me so hard my shoe came off!” Ed exclaimed. Edd sat back and chuckled as Ed now wanted to put his shoes back on and test Eddy’s new ‘Superpower.’

After ten minutes he was able to calm down the other boys with some snacks and promise of whatever movie or video game they wanted to play once homework was done. He figured he should broach the topic of his houseguest now before Kevin walked in so Eddy, or possibly even Ed, wouldn’t immediately attack him, they had been quite protective since this all started. 

“By the way,” Edd tried to say casually, but failing miserably, “Kevin is staying over for the weekend.” 

Eddy dropped his pencil. “WHAT!” He yelled and jumped up. “Where is that-”

“Eddy, Calm yourself. He’s out for the time being. His house is being fumigated so he asked to stay.”

“Why didn’t you tell that jerk to hit the road! He’s got plenty of other friends to put him up!”

“What was I supposed to say, Eddy? He was asking for help. And he’s been perfectly gentlemanly since staying here.”

Ed looked on, nervous like a kid watching his parents fight.

“Wait. You didn’t- with him, did you?” Eddy asked, eyes wide. 

“Obviously not Eddy!” Edd hissed. Remembering the towel and turning beet red.

A smile crawled across Eddys face. “You want to though.” He said it like it was fact. 

“I do not!” Double D yelped like he’d been burned, but there was no getting a bone from Eddy once he started.

“I can’t believe it. It’s perfect, even if it is that stooge. C’mon dude, breakfast in bed huh, huuuh.” He elbowed the blushing Edd. "You’ve never had one of your meals at home yet right? He can be your meals on wheels.”

“Eddy I know better than to squat where I eat.” Edd said, blushing at his own vulgarity but continuing. “I wouldn’t engage in such acts with anyone at school who could start rumors. Even if my larger secret doesn’t get out I don’t need the extra stress of people at school thinking I’m some sort of,” He groaned. “You know.” He made a flippant hand gesture.

“A slut? Easy? A grade A cock sucker?” Eddy teased

“Please Eddy. Language!” He said, pulling his hat over his eyes.

“I mean I get it. You like the muscly sort. You wanna practice anatomy with him? Point out the scapula and the whatever other muscle?" 

“Eddy. I beseech you. Please don’t. I don’t need him to come in while you’re acting like this and making it weird. Tomorrow night he’ll be back at home and we’ll all forget about this.”

Eddy looked ready to beat this dead horse all night until Ed stood up and picked up Eddy. “I think it is time for Eddy to cool off!” Ed said, opening the back door and throwing him into the December chill without a coat. All the while Eddy shouting to be put down.

Edd chuckled behind his hand. “Why thank you Ed." He smiled. “I do believe Eddy was blowing a lot of hot air as well.”

Ed grinned. “Like a tea kettle!"

Eddy ran back inside grabbing his coat and wrapping up. “F-f-f-fine! Fine you win! I’ll cool it with the teasing!”

“Thank you, Eddy."

Soon things settled once again and the Eds finished their homework and got comfortable on the couch. Ed decided they should watch some old B rated horror film again and Edd and Eddy knew he was too dead set to do anything else, and it made the big lug happy so they all settled in for what was sure to turn into _another_ monster movie marathon.

* * *

Kevin knocked on Nazz’s door and heard screeching coming from inside. 

“Dude thank god you’re here!” Nazz said pulling Kevin in to help wrangle her two little brothers. 

Her 12 year old brother had decided he wanted to “thief proof” the house and had covered all the entry-ways with flour and her 7 year old brother had taken off all his clothes except his underwear and some sort of Halloween luchador mask and was screaming about being a wrestler, attacking the broom whenever Nazz tried to clean. Needless to say it was a mess. 

It took an hour and a half and a call to Rolf to get the kids settled down. And by settled down he means Rolf hog-tied the two rowdy kids while Kevin and Nazz cleaned.

“Promise the son-of-a-Shepherd Rolf that you boys will be good if the rope comes away!” Rolf said boisterously. Nazz laughed behind her hand and her brothers made pinky swears- ‘a most sacred of oath’- to Rolf that they would not get up to any more shenanigans. The kids seemed to enjoy the rough housing, and Rolf was definitely their new favorite person.

“So,” The cheerleader started, “You said you were staying with Double D?”

“Ah, The Double D Ed-boy. How is the smart one?” Rolf asked sitting back at the table with them. The two brothers started chuckling in the background. Obviously getting into something they shouldn’t. Rolf turned around and eyed them suspiciously. They both stood at attention and saluted him before running up to their room giggling all the way. 

“He’s fine but. I dunno. I feel like something weird is going on with him.” 

“He does always seem exhausted during club activities.” Nazz said. “I wonder if he’s sleeping enough.”

“I think he’s not eating enough.” Kevin said conspiratorially. “I opened his fridge- completely empty! He didn’t eat last night and I had to practically force him to have breakfast this morning.”

“You don’t think he’s anorexic do you?” She asked. Worry evident. She’d been in AP English and Government with him all year, and in the GSA, but she had never noticed any signs other than general exhaustion.

“He said he wasn’t but I dunno.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I also saw something I think, no, I definitely shouldn’t have.”

Nazz grinned. "Did you see him naked?"

Kevin blushed. “NO! I mean, not exact- NO. NAZZ!” She chuckled. 

“So you didn’t see him naked?”

“No I… I think I saw him shacking up with a dude from a cafe, two actually.” He winced. He knew he shouldn't be airing out the nerds dirty laundry but it was too much to keep to himself. And neither Nazz or Rolf was ones for gossip.

“Wait, What? You mean Double D. Our own little cul-de-sac nerd? That can’t be.” The blonde said. “You must be mistaken.” She shook her head.

“Not one bit. I saw him walk into a motel with two guys, both were macking on him, and he walked out two HOURS later with a skip in his step. And weirder- the whole ride there he was sick as could be, on the way back, perfectly fine."

“Hmm.” Rolf finally piped up. “Sounds like a sex demon. Rumors were told about them in the old country. Stories of men being drained of their essence through sex. They live amongst the common folk and feed on their desire. It was said you could spot one because their cheese-pantry was always empty.” He wiggled his fingers in a camp side horror story way.

Naz and Kevin laughed. “C’mon dude. Those are just scary stories.” Nazz said, wiping a mirthful tear from her eye.

“But you said he was feeling sick until he met up with those dudes?” She asked.

Kevin nodded. 

“You don’t think it could be drugs do you?” Naz looked worried again.

“I would think Double D is smarter than that but fuck, maybe. Do you think he’s sleeping around to… get drugs? What would he even be taking?” Kevin asked, "He didn’t seem like he was, like, coked out or whatever. He even drove us home.”

Nazz’s eyebrows scrunched together. “I don’t know. I mean what other explanation is there? Unless he’s some kind of sex-addict.” She laughed. 

“It’s already weird enough he has sex, period. I mean he always struck me as someone too OCD about cleanliness to ever actually get it on.” 

“I still think the Edd boy is a sex demon. He has the pretty look of a milk maiden, though much too skinny for my tastes.” Rolf added, unhelpfully.

Kevin balked. “Pretty? I didn’t know you, uh, swung that way? And Double D?"

“While the son-of-a-Shepherd Rolf has a preference for women, I do not think bringing home a boy so pretty would bring shame to the family name."

“I mean, he does have this sort of fragile beauty.” Nazz said. “He’s kind of waifish and delicate in a classical kind of way, y’know.”

Kevin looked confused. “Waifish? What even is that?” He snorted. “Your creative writing class is making you weird.”

“You know. Like, you want to take care of him. Wrap him up in a blanket and feed him.”

“So you want to mother him? Is that some kind of weird fetish? Wait, are you attracted to him ‘cause he’s thin and pretty like a girl? Best of both worlds?” He laughed at Nazz.

“So you agree he’s as pretty as a girl?” She said. A smile on her face like the cat that got the cream.

“What? I mean-“ He was starting to get flustered, “I don’t-“

“Come now my hot-headed friend! You cannot argue that his countenance is much like that of a weaving woman.”

“Weaving? What does that have to do with anything?” Kevin asked, confused by the turn of the conversation. “How did we get from ‘Double D doesn’t eat and has dangerous sex with strangers’ to weaving and calling him girly?”

“Double D doesn’t _do_ dangerous.” Nazz said. “And besides wouldn’t the other Eds notice if things were off with him? Maybe you should ask them if they think anything seems wrong.”

“Ugh and talk to Eddy? Pass. Besides I don’t think that dork can see past his own nose. He doesn’t have any fucking empathy.” He huffed.

“I don’t know Kev. I mean Double D talks pretty highly of him in the GSA. When he talked about coming out to them it seems like Eddy was pretty supportive.” Nazz shrugged. “And if you really care isn’t it worth asking about?”

Kevin couldn’t argue with that logic. He groaned and pressed his face into the table. “Fiiiiiiiine. I’ll talk to him.”

Nazz smiled. “I knew you’d come around.”

Suddenly the two terrors jumped out of their room, they were in a mishmash of sports gear and throwing all the balls they owned down the stairs, yelling like the monsters they were.

“THE SON OF A SHEPARD HAS BEEN BETRAYED!” Rolf yelled, “HELLIONS YE BE FOR BREAKING AN OATH!” 

Nazz tried to help reign in the beasts but soon just took to collecting the balls so they would run out of ammunition, though it was difficult with Rolf continuously grabbing them from her for a counter strike.

Kevin just watched as the massacre unfolded and eventually the children were tuckered out and Nazz put them to bed. 

Rolf was insisting the 'Losers of war must be caged!’ until Nazz convinced him their room was cage enough. Rolf was still skeptical but relented.

* * *

When he returned to Edd’s house the lights were off but the TV was still flickering. Double D was asleep on the couch, curled up with his head on the armrest. Ed’s face was practically glued to the screen and sitting far too close to be healthy. Eddy though was still alert and their eyes met. A glaring match had ensued until Eddy had to blink. Kevin grinned at his small victory.

“What’re you doing here Jerk-o?” Eddy asked, though in a half-whisper as to not wake up Edd. 

“I’m sure Double D already told you.” He said back, also low.

Ed shushed them loudly from his place directly in front of the tv.

Eddy looked at Edd. Ugh the things he does for his friends. He threw on his coat and motioned to the back door.

Kevin’s eyebrows raised. He wasn’t expecting Eddy to be the one to ask to talk to him, but then maybe he just wanted a shouting match where Double D couldn’t wake up and stop them.

They stood outside in the cold, no shoes, glaring at one another. 

“What are you up to with Double D?” Eddy asked, crossing his arms, venom in his voice.

“What do you mean? I’m just staying over cause it was convenient. You saw the big tarp over my house.” He snorted.

“I mean why HERE. Don’t you have football buddies or whatever to bum off of.” Eddy crossed his arms and did a fantastic job of looking down his nose at someone nearly twice his height.

“Most of those dudes are pricks.” He said honestly. “And anyone I would have stayed with had some reason or another I couldn’t. I put off looking for somewhere to stay till the last minute and saw Double D getting home. Figured I’d take my chances, and he was kind enough to put me up.” Kevin said, “Honest enough for you, squirt?” As much as he wanted to find out what was up it WAS still Eddy he was talking to.

“Are you trying to pick a fight?” The shorter guy’s voice rose a few octaves.

“Chill it, dude. I had a question to ask about Dork-o in there.” Kevin tilted his head.

Eddy’s eyebrow raised.

“Does he ever… eat?” Kevin asked, trying hard not to look too genuine in his worry.

Something must have shown through cause Eddy groaned. How was he supposed to explain something like this. There really was no easy answer.

“He’s just… Picky.” Eddy said. “There’s not a lot of things he can eat that don’t… Er? Hurt his stomach?”

Kevin nodded. That made sense. Maybe that’s why Edd had to run to the restroom before Kevin left. That’s why the milkshake seemed so forbidden and he suddenly felt bad about pushing it on him. 

“But why wouldn’t he have just said at breakfast he couldn’t have certain things?” Kevin asked.

“I dunno, the dude’s sensitive. Probably was embarrassed or something.” Eddy said, trying to shrug it off.

“Er… Okay one more question. And I mean it’s... I don’t really know how to ask it.” Kevin started, nervous.

Eddy cocked an eyebrow. “and that would be?”

“The other day we went to the mall, over in ElmDale…” Kevin said slowly, trying to find the words. Eddy nodded but seemed impatient. 

“He uh… went into a motel. With two older dudes. And well they seemed… uh… close?” Kevin finished lamely.

Eddy was torn between wanting to face palm and yell at Double D for being so reckless as to be seen by Kevin of all people, and laughing his head off because KEVIN saw DOUBLE D getting laid. His poor geeky friend was a total gay Casanova and he knew no one would believe it if they didn’t see it in action. There was something so perfect about the star football player, all around athlete and the school’s most wanted, except for the rumor that none of the girls on the cheerleading squad had ever managed to get under his belt, had seen THE dork pull not one, but two guys at the same time. 

“Jealous?” Eddy asked, shit eating grin on his face. 

“Wh-What?” Kevin asked, turning red. Now that was an interesting response. Eddy put that away in the back of his mind.

“You’d be surprised,” Eddy said, “Double D has THE moves. Once he sets his sights on someone, they’re putty in his hands. I’ve seen it.”

Kevin was dumbstruck. “So he goes out and just… picks up older men? Isn’t that… Sort of dangerous?” Kevin asked.

It was a good question, it was one of his own back on the night Edd had turned while on the phone with his mom. Edd’s pheromones were a powerful thing. While he had never really felt them he knew they weren’t just for pulling in potential prey. They were also a defense mechanism.

“Nah. There’s no one safer than Double D. He’s Mr. Safety.” Eddy shrugged. Talking about this did bring up the feelings he had when he saw him shaking like a leaf under the cold spray of the shower, though. His want to protect his best friend. His face softened thinking about Edd’s heart-wrenching sobs after he’d cried his throat raw.

“But I guess I still worry about him too.” Eddy said. He leaned against the house. “There’s really nothing I can do. I kinda just wish he’d get a boyfriend or something. I think it would do him good, but he won’t even consider it.” 

Kevin was shocked at this side of Eddy. “Why not?” He asked, genuinely curious and for once without a shred of annoyance at the shorty.

“I dunno. I think he’s afraid. I mean I get why. It’s hard putting yourself out there and it’s easy to focus on all your faults and forget the good things about yourself… His-self.” He huffed. “He’s the best but he tends to forget that, y’know.” Eddy groaned. “Anyway! Enough of this sappy shit. We hate each other so I’m gonna leave, and both of us are gonna forget we ever had this little heart to heart, capisce?” He said, opening the door back to the warmth of the Vincent household.

“I dunno,” Kevin grinned, “I think you’re a little softie and that’s gonna be hard to forget.”

“Yeah yeah yeah.” He grumbled, “Just don’t go letting the word out or I’ll lose my tough guy cred.”

“Pfft, what cred, shorty?” Kevin said, more light-heartedly then he’d ever said to the twerp.

“What did I say about arguing?” Double D mumbled from his spot on the couch his eyes blearily blinking open. 

Kevin grinned and leaned his arm on Eddy’s head. “No arguing here. Just a friendly chat between chums.” 

Eddy growled and jerked back, Kevin, not expecting it and leaning most of his weight on Eddy stumbled. 

“Jeez. Short temper, much.” He teased.

“What was that, you!”

“Boys please.” Edd groaned and without even noticing he sent a pulse of pheromones out. Both of the boys froze in place. Eddy had felt some pheromone here and there, usually when Edd was picking someone up and testing the waters but only _barely_. It had never been like this though, It felt like he was rooted to the floor but also like he needed to run away, immediately. Were there pheromones that made others afraid? Or was that just his own response to suddenly feeling like he wasn’t allowed to move.

“What the fuck was that?” Kevin asked. “Did… Did anyone else feel that?” 

Eddy seemed to be sweating. “Nope. N-no clue. Anyway I think it’s time that me and Ed go.” He grabbed the big lug, who seemingly hadn’t felt anything at all. 

“But Eddy-“ Ed whined, but before he could finish the door had closed behind them, both of them had left their shoes.

Edd, oblivious to what he had just done stood up and stretched. Kevin was still rooted to the spot. Whatever it was, that… sudden thrill had seemingly not affected Double D at all.

Edd looked at Kevin, who was still staring at him. “What?" He asked. “Is there something on my face?” And suddenly, in the dim light, the TV flickering in the background, Kevin _Got It_. What Rolf and Nazz were saying. 

Double D had this softness about him. His eyes, Kevin noticed, were a dark blue, his face was round in a very effeminate way and his gap tooth was endearing as hell. While his hair was mostly trapped under his hat, it was knocked askew due to his nap and more of his black hair fell out the sides, framing his face. He was thin with the most delicate of features and long, long legs. Kevin gulped and realized, ‘Holy shit.’ No wonder he could pull men in so easily. Edd was beautiful.

How had he not noticed before? Obviously he wasn’t looking, but damn. When Edd had turned around to fix the couch up Kevin couldn’t look away. He wore a housecoat but his thin sleep pants had hugged his ass perfectly. Kevin gulped. He couldn’t stay down here, he was going to do something he definitely shouldn’t if he did.

“I’m, uh, I’m gonna go upstairs. Uh, Night!” he nearly shouted as he tore up to the room.

Suddenly Edd stopped. He could smell the sexual desperation in the air. 'Oh my,' Edd thought.

Well that sometimes happened to teenagers. But the smell was heady and strong. Stronger than anyone had been before and his body started reacting trying to pull that scent closer. He shuddered and steadied himself on the coffee table. 

'Twice in one day? this feels excessive.’ He thought. He knew he’d regret letting Kevin stay. 

After letting himself rest against the table for a bit, trying to get his body to put a stopper on his allure he made his way up the stairs and to his room. As he neared the guest room, he knew exactly what Kevin was doing. 

Edd threw himself into his room, locked his door and as quick as he could pulled out his box. He didn’t even bother with the condom, he just slathered it in lube, leaned against his bed and shoved the toy in. He bit down on his comforter to muffle his cries and let the overwhelming scent Kevin’s arousal bring him to climax. Even as he came he couldn’t stop, the smell still permeated his room and after a few more minutes of desperate thrusting he spilt for a second time, shaking and overstimulated. 

He shoved his toy back in the box vowing to clean it in the morning and fell asleep.

* * *

Kevin couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned and all he could think about was Double D. When had he got that… pretty was the word Rolf used, and damn was that an understatement. As soon as he had got to the room he had rubbed himself raw, imagining dark hair and bright eyes, kissing those sweet lips, licking at the gap in his teeth, running his hands down his chest… Kevin gulped. He was a goner. How had he gone from indifference to extreme infatuation in just a day? He palmed his erection and groaned. He imagined Double D on his knees in front of him, sucking him, those damned eyes locking with his. He was probably really good at it. 

Kevin pouted, ‘I bet he does it a lot.' Jealousy coursed through his veins as he continued to jerk himself. He wanted to claim him. His mouth went dry at the imagined Edd on his back moaning his name. Fuck but that was a sweet image. He groaned and came over his hand. 

He took a moment to breath and question his entire life. Why the fuck had he reacted that strongly? 

He wiped up the mess with a tissue from the box on the bedside table.

The question he really had to ask himself was did he just want to fuck him or what? So the dude had gotten good looking, what did that mean exactly? I mean, He’s still a guy. Could he even imagine going out to a restaurant or movie with him? Hold his hand in the dark? Put his arm around his shoulder and grin when something scary happened and he buried his face in Kevin’s chest. His heart thumped loudly against his ribcage and he went red. 

No way. I mean what about at school? It wasn’t like he could just walk down the hall with him, hand in hand. Sneak kisses between classes… Have him wear his football jersey on away games… Fuck. 

He remembered the sweet smile Edd had after he sipped his milkshake and Kevin’s heart squeezed as he rolled over, pressing his palms into his eyes. He was fucked.

He fell fitfully to sleep and dreamed of blue eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

When Kevin woke up he decided he needed a plan. He went on his usual run and stopped by Nazz’s house. He knew she wouldn’t be awake but he needed her advice. He stood on her doorstep and rang her phone repeatedly until she finally picked up with a groggy “WHAT!”

“I’m at your door. I need your help. I think I want Double D.” He said.

Nazz instantly threw open her window and yelled out “WHAT? DUDE GET IN HERE!"

Kevin chuckled to himself as he opened the door. She was too easy.

Nazz’s bedhead was massive as she brewed coffee, her toothbrush still in her mouth. She was the picture of ’not an early bird.’

“Sho!” She said around her toothbrush, before spitting in the sink, “What did you mean by you ‘want’ Double D?”

Kevin grimaced at her for spitting out her frothy toothpaste mouth in the kitchen. “I uh. I didn’t ever really think of Double D like that until you guys all said something and then last night he was all… I dunno, sleepy and cute it just sort of hit me.”

“So. You like him? Or you just think he’s cute?”

Kevin put his head in his hands, “I got jealous thinking of how he, y’know, sleeps around. Thinking about it made me angry. And well. The twerp put this thought in my head...”

“So you talked to Eddy? What did he say?” Nazz asked, leaning in.

“That Double D always plays it safe with his boy-toys and that he’s just a picky eater, basically.” Kevin said, annoyed thinking about how Double D was having sex that wasn’t with him.

“See, that sounds more like him.” She said. “So what did he say to get you thinking then?” She leaned her head on her hand and took a sip from her mug.

“He said he’d wish Double D would get a boyfriend so that he’d stop sleeping around. And last night I guess I thought ‘I’d like that to be me’ and well,” he said bashfully, “it’s worth a shot right?”

“Aww, dude.” Nazz cooed, “That’s so sweet.” She reached across the table and pinched one of his red cheeks.

“Stop that!” He said, swatting her hand away. “The only problem is Eddy said he wasn’t considering dating anyone.”

“Why not?” She asked. “He always struck me as the settling down type. Him sleeping around like that just doesn’t seem like him.” 

“Eddy seemed to think it’s a lack of self confidence. Or at least that’s what I got out of the conversation.”

“So what’s the plan?” Nazz had her scheming face on. 

“I don’t know. That’s what I came here to ask you.” 

“Well obviously you have to woo him. But what would Double D like is the question.” She sighed. “You may need to talk to Eddy again.”

“Probably.” Kevin nodded.

“Do you think he’d help you? With all the bad blood between you and everything.”

“You know, I think he will.”

* * *

‘Okay, phase 1. Spend more time with him.’ Kevin thought as he walked in the door.

“Oh good morning Kevin.” Double D said as he set out food on the table. “I hope you don’t mind but I ordered us breakfast. I ate mine already but I got you a skillet. I figured from your breakfast yesterday you liked to have a little of everything so I made an assumption.” He said with a small smile and Kevin wanted to melt. 

“Aw dude you didn’t have to do that! Thanks!” He caught him in a side-hug and Kevin may have kept it going a touch too long before letting go and digging in. The food was really good.

Edd wished he could just turn his nose off. It was always concerning he could tell what others wanted through scent alone. Kevin smelt delicious, while last night was raw arousal, a strong cloying scent that could make his head float right off of his body, this morning it seemed like it had aged, much like wine. The want for sex much the same, but it felt more like the want for intimacy, the rawness tamed somehow. Something he mostly smelled on couples, oddly enough.

“Where did you get this?” He asked.

“There’s a health food place around the corner and they have a marvelous breakfast menu.” It had been his favorite before he stopped eating, but he figured he could live vicariously through Kevin, and by ordering he looked totally normal. If he thought he’d already eaten he wouldn't try to feed him was Edd’s thought process.

“I always thought it was one of those vegan places where everything is bland as hell, but I guess I was wrong.” Kevin said between mouthfuls. It could have used cheese but that was his only critique.

“It is a vegetarian place,” Edd said plainly, “Is that a problem?” He asked, mildly concerned.

“Wait, this is vegan? Like this sausage isn’t real?” Kevin asked, holding a brown sausage shaped vegan substitute with a bite taken out of it on the end of his fork. He inspected it closely. 

“It’s very likely boca or saitan.” Edd explained. “Much of it is likely some plant protein or another, but it’s not completely vegan. After all the scramble has eggs.” 

“Huh,” Kevin said, eyeing the eggs. “So are you a vegetarian then?” He asked.

“No but I was briefly. A very disgusting turn of events after one of Eddys failed scams made me reexamine meat's place in my diet.” Double D shuttered at the memory.

“Oh I have to hear this.” Kevin teased. 

“I wouldn’t while you were eating. It’s quite disgusting.” Edd said, he looked queasy at the memory.

“Try me.” Kevin said, stuffing another forkful in his mouth. It really was good.

“Well.... Eddy apparently thought using pig offal from Rolfs farm as a Halloween decoration would bring his haunted house ‘to life’.” He grimaced.

“Offal?” Kevin cocked an eyebrow.

“The pigs internal organs.” Double D said.

Kevin frowned deeply, disgust evident. “I don’t remember that Halloween.” 

“That’s because I shut it down. He had Ed hang them and they were dripping all over his garage. I couldn’t let anyone go in there and get that on them. And what if the pig was diseased? I had to call his mother. He got grounded for weeks.” He recounted.

“That’s truly gross. I can’t-“ Kevin paused and shook his head, “actually no. I can totally imagine Eddy doing that back in his scamming days. I’m surprised you called his mom though.” 

“I did what I had to. It was too unsanitary to let slide.” Remembering it made his hands itch to clean something.

“So why’d you stop being a vegetarian then?”

“I quickly found I wouldn’t feel as full for as long and it wasn’t the most cost effective way of eating, so I switched back after a few months.” How he wished he could switch back to human food, cost effectiveness be damned. “I do find I prefer the vegetarian version of some things better though. It’s much less greasy.”

Kevin wondered if that was part of his “pickiness.” he scratched off a bunch of places with greasy food from his mental list of possible date spots.

“Well if all vegetarian food is this good, maybe I’ll give it more chances in the future.” Kevin said. 

“I’m glad I can help you widen your horizons.” Edd said happily.

‘You have no idea.’ Kevin thought with a chuckle.

“So,” Kevin started after his food was finished, “I know you did your homework last night but do you think you could help me?” He asked in hopes of keeping Edd around. “I’m not sure I’m understanding what we’re doing in chem.”

Edd brightened. School was easy to talk about and most people would be too sidetracked by difficult questions that their sexual frustration would be washed over with the regular brand. True the halls and less labor intensive classes still often smelled like the musky scent of wanton teens, but math and science classes tended to have way fewer students having daydreams. Occasionally there was an errant student here or there in their own world, however at the level he was at, that was very rare.

“Why of course Kevin! I’m especially fond of chemistry so I’d be happy to help!”

Naz was the one who suggested having Double D help with homework. She said that at one point he’d been tutoring a handful of younger students but dropped everyone but Jimmy back in October to focus on his own work and applying to colleges but also that he seemed to miss it dearly. Jimmy was only kept on because they were in the same club together and, well everyone has a soft spot for Jimmy.

Kevin got his book bag and brought it down to the table. Edd had situated himself on the couch and seemed to have just started reading something. The name didn’t seem to be in English. He finished his sentence, placed his bookmark, and put it on the table. _Malleus Maleficarum: Veritatem Mendaciis._ Kevin wondered what language that was.

“Alright, let’s get this party started.” Kevin said, pulling out his chemistry book. It was true he was having some issues but nothing he couldn’t have figured out on his own, but Kevin wasn’t willing to let the chance to be in close quarters with Edd slip through his fingers.

Kevin opened his book to the current chapter his class was working on. “So I don’t understand how to calculate this-“ He pointed out the question in the book and how it didn’t seem to be written the same way as the previous examples. Edd leaned into Kevin’s space to examine the textbook. As he did Kevin couldn’t help but stare. Double D’s eyelashes were long and while his hat was in place as always the hair escaping it from the sides and back were glossy and looked soft to the touch. More noticeable was how warm he was pressed against his side to look over his shoulder. Incredibly warm.

“Hey, are you running a fever?” Kevin said in the middle of Edd’s explanation.

“Excuse me?” Edd asked, confused by Kevin’s sudden question. 

Kevin put his hand on his forehead and he was very warm. Burning even.

“I just run hot, I assure you.” Edd jerked his head back at the touch.

“And you looked sick before. Are you sure you’re okay?” Kevin asked. “Why don’t you take off your sweater if you’re hot?”

Edd gripped the front of his cardigan. “I don’t feel warm. I’m fine.”

Kevin frowned at how much he reacted to that statement. “Okay. Sorry, I just thought you might be uncomfortable.”

Truthfully he was, his wings taped to him for so long started to ache and he _was_ overly warm in his cardigan, but he wasn’t about to take it off and possibly have his wings be exposed if they tried to move under his shirt. 

“As I was saying, what you’re missing here, they’ve worded this question trickily. You see here-“ he pointed to a part of the question. 

Even trying to deflect Edd was cute. Usually he would have put off by such an odd reaction but he’d wanted to know more about Edd even as he pushed him away. As he carried on Kevin couldn’t focus on anything but how much he wanted to kiss the boy next to him. Maybe studying wasn’t the best way to spend time with the nerd, Double D in his element was way too attractive.

Edd was smelling it again, stronger than before, and when he went to look at Kevin to see if he was understanding the problem he couldn’t help but notice how much Kevin was _staring_. At him. 

“Do you get it?” He squeaked. ‘No,’ Edd thought. ‘He’s probably just daydreaming.’ Kevin’s eyes darted to Edds lips before he looked away, suddenly shy. A telling smell rolling off him in waves.

“Sorry. I got distracted. So this part is-“ Kevin tried to get back to the book.

Double D sat wide eyed trying to parse what just happened. Did Kevin get pulled in by his allure? He was sure he hadn’t slipped all morning and last night's heather diffusion should have rid the house of its effects. Could it be residual from sleep? 

_‘Well_ ,’ he thought, _‘if he’s attracted to the allure then when he goes home tonight and gets away from it he’ll realize it was just a fluke and if it’s a crush it’ll quickly go away on its own._ ’ Satisfied he dropped the thought.

“No, you need to move the decimal place over-“ After Edds explanation he told Kevin to finish the practice questions and when he felt sure Kevin knew what he was doing he picked up the book he was reading again.

Though Edd and his father didn’t talk as much as he did with his mom he always felt close to him. He had gotten much of his mannerisms from the man.

He re-read the dedication in the book with a smile. In Latin it read _‘To my wife and son whom I love. I always find comfort that in this world of mysteries I always have you, and you me. May my travels bring me back to you always.’_ The same dedication in all his books.

His father was a scholar of what many saw as the occult and was traveling the world following up on leads for more information on the ‘Infernal’. While Demons preferred to be believed to be myth his father was the leading knowledgeable source of Demonology in the western hemisphere, searching out information that could help his wife and son. 

Originally a biologist, he strived to find out how the Infernal work. Their physiology, how they came to be, anything and everything.

 _Malleus Maleficarum: Veritatem Mendaciis_ was his father's newest publication. It was a detailed, updated, and most importantly, accurate re-writing of Heinrich Kramer’s very unscientific book that called a literal witch-hunt on anyone who opposed the church, specifically Demons and Witches. Which, no surprise, got a great many details wrong, as propaganda is want to do. Kramer’s claim that Succubi were always women was the least of his misinformation. 

Edd knew that, as usual, his findings would be controversial at best within the occult community, who rather preferred the scary way demons have been portrayed for the last thousand years. His father had never strived to be the most well liked though, and only ever cared that he was accurate. Edd had always tried to emulate his father in that.

He’d put off reading anything about his biology for as long as he could at this point out of shame and embarrassment but with the times between his feedings getting shorter and shorter and he needed to find out why, to hopefully find out how to stop it. 

He got through a chapter before Kevin asked him another question.

After a while of back and forth Kevin finished and Edd looked over his work, making minor corrections and showing him what mistakes he made. Kevin really understood what he was doing by the end, which was nice because he hated the chem teacher. He felt like he won a little victory over him by having his homework be perfectly done, and he got to spend time with a cute boy while doing it. Suck it Mr. Harper.

“So, what’re you reading?” Kevin tried to peek but not a single word made sense. 

Edd flinched. He’d realized how quickly he had been adjusting to Kevin’s presence, he hadn’t even thought about the fact he was reading a demonology book in front of him. Sure it was in Latin but it was still something he should have been careful about. 

“It’s a book my father wrote.” Edd settled on. A truth but vague enough.

“That’s rad! I didn’t know your dad was a writer. What’s it about?” _‘Perfect_ ,’ Kevin thought, _‘phase 2, learn about him.’_

“It’s basically a rebuttal to a very old text, decrying it as unscientific and clearing up all its misinformation.”

“What language is that?” Kevin asked, now looking over Edd’s shoulder in a mirror to how they were sitting before.

“My Father thinks he’s funny and wrote it in Latin, what the original text was written in. He’s mocking a dead man, so he chose to do so in the man's own ‘dead’ language.”

Kevin let out an amused breath. “I bet you’re a lot like him. That sounds like something you’d do.”

“It was my idea actually.” Edd chuckled. “I said it as a joke but my father insisted that he had to do just that. I told him it would make the book inaccessible to basically everyone. He also published it in English, but he sent me a copy in Latin.” The bittersweet look on his face made Kevin’s heart squeeze. 

Kevin wouldn’t know what he’d do without his own parents around for longer than a weekend, and Edd always seemed to be home alone, even as a child. He wanted to ask about the circumstances that lead to Edd being left to an empty house so often.

“Where is he now?” It was a long shot question that might have been too invasive but he couldn’t stop himself.

“He’s in Honduras. There’s a community that’s lived isolated from the world that may be able to shed some light on ancient practices. But him and my mom are both scheduled back in time for Christmas.” Edds eyes shone with pride and excitement. Kevin hoped his parents deserved the happiness that they put on their son’s face.

“So is your mom over there with him?” Edd’s openness had Kevin feeling better about asking questions, however this one seemed to halt the conversation.

“No, She’s currently in Iran. She’s taken a job there as a surgeon.” His cheerful demeanor seemed to slip away. His mother was hard to talk about. His father was out looking for a way to help his family. His mother had to leave because being a succubus and living in Peach Creek was… incompatible.

Edd’s Father had found something years ago. A place where demons didn’t need to feed off humans. His mother, for the longest, made trips to the secluded hot springs in Iran, once renowned by the Persian for their magical properties, and after years of constant back and forth finally had made the tough decision to stay. She had offered Edd to come with and along with it a chance that at 18 he wouldn’t have to go through with what she did.

He had declined. His life was here. His only friends. How could he leave? At the time he hadn’t fully understood why she decided to leave their home, to leave him… Now he knew how hard it must have been for her. 

Kevin didn’t know what sore spot he hit because Edd seemed to shrink in on himself, his body language closing off. “No wonder you’re such a genius, can’t beat good breeding I guess.” Kevin tried to lighten the atmosphere.

Edd gave a wan smile, that didn’t quite make it to his eyes, “I wouldn’t say I made out like a bandit in the genetics department.”

“I dunno, you seem to have the whole package to me.” When Kevin realized what he said he pinkened and hoped that Double D didn't notice his way-too-obvious admission.

At some point in their conversation Kevin had put his arm on the back of the couch, behind Edd, and they seemed to have found themselves in a fairly intimate position. The smell of Kevin's desire had gone down considerably while doing homework on his own but it was back to being overpowering, and Edd knew he hadn’t released any pheromone. He had to acknowledge that it was likely a crush, that paired with Kevin’s sudden interest in his life, and his unusually sweet words, he was left uncertain of how to move forward. 

He’d never been flirted with without the use of his allure, well other than by the Kankers but he refused to count that. He needed to let him down, It would be rude to give him any false hope. However he had absolutely no idea how to let someone down. And how can you if they haven’t even said anything yet. 

Fortunately Edd didn’t have to find out now, as his phone started ringing. Double D jumped from the couch happy for any excuse to flee, “Excuse me, I have to take this!” he said as he scurried to his cell on the table and out of the living room.

Kevin sat staring at the spot Edd had just vacated. They definitely just had a moment. If the phone hadn’t rang Kevin thinks he might have leaned forward those extra few inches. 

“Hello Mother,” Kevin heard from the Kitchen where Edd had fled to, “I miss you too.” Kevin wasn’t sure if he wanted to eavesdrop or not but he didn’t exactly have to strain hard to hear Edd.

“Yes, I’ve been eating enough.” Edd said, “I have some company over for the weekend. You remember the Barr’s… No, no. He had an infestation at his house.” Kevin could barely hear a voice on the other end, too muffled to hear what was actually being said. “No, he doesn't.” 

“No, I have no plans to.” A pause.

“Don’t worry Mother, I don’t think it should be a problem. I’ll still see you at Christmas right?” A reply that seemed to be in the affirmative.

“I’ll hold you to it.” Edd said with excitement. “I look forward to it. Goodbye Mother.”

When Edd returned he seemed happy. 

“Your mom?” Kevin asked.

“Yes, just checking in. She calls every few days.” He smiled, “Well. I think I’ll just head up to my room to continue reading.” Edd tried to escape. He just had to last until Kevin went home, then he could take his refresher trip in peace and Kevin would forget all about his sudden strange crush.

“Actually, why don’t we go do something. A final hurrah or whatever. It seems like a waste not to.”

Edd glanced at the staircase, He wanted to just go lay down until he could eat. Despite the double meal he’d had Friday he was already starting to get hungry again and he didn’t want to do anything that might turn his peckishness to full blown hunger before he could refresh himself.

“I don’t know, I’m not really feeling great.” 

“Come on it’s not even noon yet. My parents get back around 8. We can do something super low-key.”

Edd wanted to just say no, especially when Kevin had the aroma of puppy-love but he knew he’d just beg and Edd would eventually give in so he figured he’d cut it short and just do whatever he wanted.

“Fine. I guess. Where were you thinking?” Edd asked.

“There’s an arcade near the movie theater near here.” Kevin suggested.

Edd figured that was good enough. Arcades weren’t exactly hotbeds of sexual activity. Most people were too focused on trying to win to be wanton. Even couples on dates tended to smell of competition.

“Okay. That sounds…” Not the worst was what he wanted to say, “Fun.” was what he settled on.

* * *

Kevin was impressed by Edd’s skill, if he could call it that. Every luck based game seemed to practically give him prizes. Reflex games were equally no match for him. He won the highest level prize on the keymaster machine and every time he played stackers he made it to the last row. Little kids gathered around and he ended up giving away any prizes he got. 

“I didn’t want to carry them around anyway.” Edd shrugged.

Kevin had made new high scores on the punching machine and some new jump rope light game. Edd tried it at Kevin’s behest but would have crashed to the floor if Kevin hadn’t caught him. Jumping had made his wings ache to flap and them jerking against their bindings had him tumbling and without his tails extra balance he fell. He wondered if the reason he was so uncoordinated his whole life was the lack of extra balance he was meant to have but quickly stopped thinking about it as Kevin tried to right him. His hand so close to where his wings escaped his back.

“You okay?” Kevin asked.

“I’m fine. Just clumsy.” He replied, scrambling to his feet. He stepped away to get his hands off of him.

“It’s kind of funny how you can do all these reflex games but jumping is your weakness.”

“Yes, I’m not exactly sporty. We’ve gone over this.”

“No one’s good at everything. You might be too intimidating if you were athletic too. Smart and attractive is more than good enough.”

“Wh- ah-” He blushed, “Oh, You’re teasing me.”

“What, like you don’t know. You’re obviously cute, the clumsiness really enhances it though. Hey- the VR game is open now.”

Edd frowned at Kevin’s weird flirting, if he could call it that. He followed at a distance. 

“Come on, it fits two.”

“No, you go ahead.” Edd didn’t want to be in a confined space with him. Sitting close while Kevin was still far too interested in him was dangerous. The smell of attraction never faltered even as they played and Edd had been trying hard to ignore it, but it was alluring and it’s strength felt like a promise of a filling meal.

“Come on, You were the one who wanted to see how good the VR looked.” Kevin grabbed his arm and dragged him into the booth.

Edd sighed and sat down. The seats started rocking as the story of how they got to some distant alien world played out. It was realistic enough 3D graphics but pretty basic. It was a simple on rails shooter but it had sudden drops like a rollercoaster and the whole machine would shake and rock in time with story beats. Edd had to admit it was way more fun than he thought it would be. The game was long and winding and after a tense 15 minutes they cleared the game. 

“Good Gam-mm!” Edd started but was cut off by Kevin’s lips on his. 

Kevin’s hand brushed across his cheek and Edd gasped at the soft contact. Kevin used his surprise to his advantage and slipped his tongue across the seam of his lips, gaining entry. Edd had been kissed before but not like this, usually it was just his mouth being licked and he dealt with it in stride and mild disgust. Kissing like this though was incredibly pleasant, or maybe Kevin was just very good at it.

Kevin backed him into the corner of the booth and tilted his head for a better angle. Edd gripped the front of Kevin’s hoodie and whimpered as his mouth was plundered. Kevin was gentle but demanding and Edd’s mild hunger grew at being so close to the source of a sweet smell of attraction. He melted into the kiss, panting between the short parting of their lips before reconnecting.

Edd kissing back was more than Kevin had expected and if the way he moaned was any indication he was enjoying it as much as Kevin was. 

“God, I’ve wanted to do this since last night.” Kevin said against his mouth before kissing him again.

That brought Edd back to his senses and he made a disgruntled sound and tried to pull back but being pressed into the wall he couldn’t. “Kevin! Wait-” He said, pushing him back by his shoulders. 

Kevin’s hand on his cheek didn’t move but he backed up. 

“I’m sorry but this isn’t- I don’t know what exactly this is for you but I’m not interested in dating right now.” 

“Shit, sorry. I just… sorry.” Kevin looked longingly at his lips again but backed off. 

Kevin’s kicked puppy look hurt Edd’s heart but he wouldn’t give in, as amazing as the kiss was. 

“Look it’s just with school and applying to college too much is going on. I don’t want to get into a relationship and have to break it off because we go to different schools.” 

“Yeah, yeah no. I get it. I just… Is there really no way you’d give me a shot?” Kevin’s lingering hand cupping his face gave one last gentle stroke with his thumb. 

“Sorry.” Edd replied with a slight wince.

“Yeah. Okay.” He took his hand back and looked away. 

Edd felt bad about how sad Kevin seemed. It wasn’t like they’d gotten that close. His allure was a scary thing, capturing Kevin so effortlessly. He’d obviously confused his sexual attraction with romantic attraction. 

He might have considered it if he’d only asked for sex but kissing was going too far. He still would have said no but he wouldn’t have felt so bad about it if all Kevin wanted was to get off. 

Kevin was kicking himself. He didn’t mean to jump ahead in his plan but sitting so close to Edd was too tempting. His laughs and shouts when surprised by an enemy were too cute and the adrenaline of winning tipped the scales. 

It made sense why he wouldn’t want to date but Kevin couldn’t just give up before he even tried. He’d never been this interested in anyone before. 

The drive home was awkward. Kevin kept trying to start speaking but nothing came out.

When they got back Kevin packed his bag slowly. He was mad at himself for scaring him off like that. If that was the only chance he got to convince Edd of his merits as a boyfriend he didn’t know what he’d do.

He slung his bag over his shoulder and met Edd in the living room.

“Heading home?” Edd asked.

“Yeah. Hey… I didn’t make things too awkward did I? I still want to be friends, if you’re cool with it after, Uh, you know.”

“It’s fine. We can continue to be friends if that’s what you want. We’ll just call it a lapse in judgement.” Edd crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway to the kitchen he had a tense smile but a smile nonetheless. He was still damn attractive, even when letting him down.

Kevin bit his lip to keep from marching over and kissing him again. “I don’t know if I’d call it that. I still really like you.”

“I’m sorry I can’t reciprocate.” Edd said with an apologetic tone. He knew he’d be ghosting him despite saying they could still be friends and already felt bad about it but he wasn’t about to get anyone else involved. If he shared his secret with Kevin who knows what would happen. And even if by some stroke of luck he was okay with it he just didn’t need the added drama of a relationship with his condition. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone not knowing what they’re getting into.

“Yeah. I know. I’m sorry I made it awkward again.” 

“You’ll get over it faster than you think.” Edd was sure that as soon as Kevin was away from his potent pheromones he’d wonder how he ever had a crush on him.

Kevin didn’t think so though. If anything the light way he was letting him down made it worse. He wanted to know more about this person he thought he’d known but had so much more under the surface. He was gorgeous, kind, smart, and had a hidden sexy side. He wanted to know all of him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at school?” Kevin asked. 

“Sure. I’ll see you then.” Edd said and led him to the door. 

Kevin wanted to hug him, to touch him, to not leave. “I… yeah I’ll see you.”

The longing look he was giving to his lips was palpable, literally to Edd. If he wasn’t what he was, Kevin would be everything and more that he wanted in a boyfriend and he was denying himself as much as he was Kevin. It didn’t help he smelled of affection instead of the usual lust and it was nice to feel wanted for more than sex even if it was fake. His scent meant he was someone who was looking for something real and Edd just couldn’t offer him that.

Edd closed the door behind him and slid down to the floor with a sigh. He needed to feed again already and he hated his body with his whole being. He pulled his legs up to his chest and took a moment to let himself mourn what could never be. 

Tears sprung to his eyes but he didn’t allow them to fall. He picked himself up and resolved to find the most potent smelling person to feed from and then felt disgust about how his needs superseded any feelings he or anyone else had. He truly was a monster. The thought made his cheeks wet with the tears he wasn’t going to let fall and he wiped them away. 

No matter what he felt or how much he hated it though he needed to eat.

Kevin settled back into his house. After unpacking he opened his window to let out the weird smell that fumigation left behind just in time to watch Edd drive away. He just knew he was going to go find someone to sleep with that wasn’t him. He watched until he couldn’t see the car anymore. It steeled his resolve to talk to Eddy. If he told him to give up he would but he had a feeling the twerp would have some kind of scheme and for the first time he thought it might just work.

* * *

“So you’re coming to me because you made a move and got rejected?”

“Yes.” Kevin replied.

“And _you_ think _I’d_ help you?”

“Yes.” Keven repeated.

“And why would I do that?”

“Because we both want the same thing for him. I want to date him and you want him to be safer. If he’s with me he won’t be out there possibly endangering himself.”

Eddy pretended to think about it. “And why do you like him? Why should I trust you with my best friend?”

“I… I don’t know. I just realized that he was… _rllyprtty_.” Kevin blushed.

“Come again?” Eddy asked with a smirk.

Kevin groaned and tightened his hands into fists. “I said he’s really pretty, okay? He’s got this whole cute klutzy thing going. He’s smart and really kind but he’s also got this snarky sense of humor. But even though he’s hot he's modest about it. I never considered I could like a guy like this but when I think about him I want more then anything to touch him.” By the end Kevin was out of breath.

“Damn. You okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah. I’ve just been keeping that in.”

Eddy sighed. If he’d just said he was ‘pretty’ and nothing else he would have told him to take a hike but he was serious, even if he hated Kevin it seemed like he would treat his friend right. “Okay. Fine. I’ve got a plan.”

“Wait really?” Kevin asked with hope.

“Yeah. You’re really serious. Even after total rejection you want to be with him. I mean you could not have been crushed harder-“

“Get on with it.” Kevin growled.

“Point is you want more from him. I want him to be happy and I think you might be able to make that happen. If you’re serious you need to prove that to him. But you also need to be a bit underhanded.”

“What do you mean?”

Eddy grinned his scheming grin. “Edd can’t go a week without sex. Every weekend he goes out hunting. If you’re always where he is, blocking the competition, he might be forced to give you a chance in the sack.”

“How does that help me date him?”

“It’s a hunch.” Eddy shrugged. “It’s what I have. Take it or leave it.”

Kevin paced. “Okay but he said he didn’t want to date me because we might go to different colleges.”

“He’s already got his early acceptance letter from Cornell. It’s in state- even if it’s hours away. If you plan to stay in state I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”

“Wait, really? He made it seem like he was going to go far.”

“He would.” Eddy snorted. “Listen you won’t be able to understand why he doesn’t want to date until he trusts you completely but he’s probably going to be making himself scarce until he thinks you’re not interested anymore. I’ll give you the low down on where he is but don’t go hound him too much yet. This weekend will be when we really put the plan in motion.

“And what about at school? What should I do?”

“You need to prove you’re fine being seen with him and a little extra time together should do you some good. You have to convince him to sit with you at lunch. Of course he won’t go if me and Ed aren’t there.”

“Of course. You just want a free pass to sit at the popular table.” Kevin crossed his arms.

“As if, shovel chin. Try getting him to sit anywhere without us. Me and Ed are his best friends and he wouldn’t dream of sitting anywhere but next to us at lunch, and we wouldn’t let him go anywhere without us either. Ed is especially protective of him since-“ Eddy shut his mouth. 

“Since?” Kevin asked. Eddy’s whole demeanor changed and it alarmed him.

“Just since. Anyway, he needs us there to even consider it.”

“Fine. You guys are invited. Just try not to make anyone uncomfortable with your showboating.”

Eddy rolled his eyes. “Whatever. We’re not in middle school. I know how to act. But you need to invite us all naturally. He’d know it was a scheme if I said to sit together or if he finds out we talked at all. We usually eat out near the staircase in the courtyard. Come find us and invite us. Bring back up so he knows it’s not just you who wants us there. If even one other person says it’s okay he’ll feel too pressured to say no.”

“Isn’t that a bit… I dunno? Scummy?”

“Do you want to date him or not?”

Kevin grumbled. “Yeah. Yeah I really do.”

Eddy wanted to laugh at how pathetic Kevin was acting. He was almost tempted to get revenge for the skipper incident but they were 18, adults now. It would just be petty and Edd would be annoyed with him.

“Then do as I say. No one’s known him longer than me.” 

Eddy knew it would work out. He’d pilfered one of Edd’s dads books that had been left piled in Edd’s ‘read later’ bookshelf gathering dust. The fact he’s refused to read them was pretty telling about how he felt about his demon half. So Eddy took it upon himself to find out what was going on with him. He saw he was getting sicker and sicker by the week and figured he’d find out why even if he had to read every stinkin’ book on his friends shelf. He wasn’t sure if Edd would be mad or impressed that he’d gone through with a highlighter to the most important facts he’d found.

Eddy was sure that Kevin was exactly the thing he needed to get better. 

“Fine.” Kevin conceded. He wanted to know what Eddy meant by ‘since.’ What happened to Edd that would have made them more protective of him? Was he hurt at some point? “But if he gets mad about how deceitful it is I’m blaming you.”

“I’ll take that.” Eddy shrugged. “I think if it works he won’t care one bit.”

* * *

At lunch he grabbed Nazz and they hounded the Eds to sit with them. As much as Edd seemed to want to say no Ed and Eddy’s excitement at being invited to sit with the others won him over. It was mostly fine except that Kevin sat close and him and Nazz questioned his lack of food. He'd have to find a way around that issue if they were to continue sitting with everyone else.

As much as Edd planned to disappear Kevin seemed to always know exactly where to find him. He was met with a friendly side hug between every class. After school Kevin and Nazz joined him walking home. Ed had extra tutoring and Eddy was in detention. He’d played a prank on the principal last month and he was still being punished for it so Edd had been stuck walking alone for the last month. It would have been nice to have company but while trying to avoid Kevin it was stressful that he couldn’t shake him. Speaking of Kevin, he walked close with his hand brushing Edd’s as often as possible to the point Edd ended up putting his hands in his pockets despite how warm he was.

Edd had expected Kevin’s attraction would weaken but that didn’t seem to be the case and he nearly had to cover his nose at the pungent smell rolling off of him. 

His Sunday trip was… bad. The guy he’d picked up had a strong scent but he’d just learned that apparently didn’t always mean he would have a better meal. His back still hurt from the rough and uncoordinated way the guy fucked. He would have thought he was a virgin but the energy yield wasn’t nearly enough. His guess was he learned from porn because the odd angle he thrusted at almost seemed like he was performing for a camera, which Edd knew was not the case as he’d picked the venue.

“Are you okay?” Nazz asked. “You seem to be limping.”

Edd straightened up. “I think I slept funny. Just a kink in my lower back.”

Nazz was certain that was a lie but it was done too well.

“Oh. You should sleep on your side with a pillow between your legs. That usually helps when my lower back hurts from cramps.” She said.

“Thank you, I’ll give that a try.” Edd replied.

“I could message it out.” Kevin said. 

Edd shot him a look that suggested he knew what Kevin was up to.

“I- I mean I get hurt a lot in football practice so I know stretches and where to put pressure.”

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t think it’s the best idea.” Edd needed to remind him he’d been rejected because he was acting as if it never happened. 

Nazz looked between them. 

“Wait. Did he confess already? Did you really reject him?” 

“I… just don’t think right now is a good time to start dating. With college on the horizon and who knows if we’re going to be going to colleges anywhere near each other. Wait- you told Nazz you have feelings for me?”

“Of course I did. She’s my best friend.”

Edd’s cheeks went pink. “Oh.” He hadn’t expected that. He’d assumed it would be a secret he’d not want anyone to know. A dirty attraction he’d hide. 

“Aren’t you going to Cornell? Kev’s first and second choices are both only an hour away.”

Edd frowned. “I…” he didn’t have another good excuse lined up.

“If he’s not willing to date right now then he’s not ready. Don’t bother him about it.” Kevin defended. 

Edd stared at Kevin but looked away when Kevin looked back at him with a reassuring smile.

“Sorry.” Edd said. “It really isn’t about you. I do… find you attractive. I just…”

“Don’t worry about it. I want you and I’ll be here if you change your mind.”

Edd wanted to cry. Kevin would have been perfect if only Edd could have been human.

“Well, you guys want to come over?” Nazz asked. “I’ve got nothing to do until work.”

“Ah, sorry. I’ve got things to do.” Edd said, fully resolved to go home and have a breakdown in the peace and quiet of his own home. He needed to do better at avoiding Kevin if he didn’t want to spend the rest of the week in tears 

“You look a little red.” Kevin touched his forehead. “You really do run warm.” They were close to home and Edd considered darting into his house because the caring touch was pulling tears to his eyes faster than he could hold them back.

“Woah dude! You _are_ warm.” Nazz said, putting her own hand to his forehead the other on her own.

“Ah, excuse me. I’m going to go lay down.” He backed up and dipped into his house.

“Dude, you had a perfect chance to get a date out of him and you just hopped in and ruined your own chances!” She whacked his arm. “But why did you jump ahead in the plan?”

“I know. It was way too hard not to kiss him. We were at the arcade and he was just… ugh so gorgeous. And fuck he was a good kisser too.”

“He kissed back? Then why did he say no? He obviously likes you.”

“That’s why I talked to Eddy. We have a new plan but I’m not feeling confident in it.”

“Oh yeah? You gonna let me in on it?”

“Well apparently he goes out every weekend to, ya’know. Cruise or whatever. Eddy said if I cockblock him he might give me a chance. I don’t get why though.”

“That does seem weird. But Eddy knows him better than we do so maybe he knows something we don’t?”

“Maybe but… doesn’t it seem wrong? I mean he’s already refused me. Twice now.”

“But he also obviously has feelings for you. I just don’t get why he was so unwilling to try.

“I don’t know either. But I think Eddy does.”

“You know who else I bet knows?” Nazz asked.

“Who?” 

“Ed.”

“Oh. I never even considered that.”

“It’s worth a shot. Eddy knows how to keep a secret. Ed not so much.”

“I can’t just go behind his back to find out his secret. What if it’s something really personal? I’ve already sunk pretty low taking Eddy’s advice… Eddy said I needed to gain his trust. I think I have to draw the line here if I want to do that.”

“Fine. I can respect that.”

* * *

Edd closed the door behind him and covered his eyes. He hated this. He hated being a monster, a demon, an inhuman _creature_. No matter what way he looked at it it was a terrible idea to be with Kevin. His mother and father were deeply in love but that didn’t stop them from being separated and living lives completely apart. 

His father was doing all he could because he couldn’t feed his mother. He had no sexual attraction to give. Even on the night of his conception she was unable to pull anything from him. He was completely immune to her pheromone and unable to produce the sexual miasma that succubi feed off of.

He found the Iranian springs in hopes they could retire there and be together as a family. His father still had a lot he wanted to research before he felt he could hang up his hat though and Edd wasn’t ready to give up the idea of life as a human so they were scattered to the wind. Unable to be together.

All Edd knew was that as a succubus he had no chance at having the kind of life he wanted. He couldn’t force the way he had to live on anyone and he couldn’t risk showing off his wings and tail on the first date in hopes that someone might be _potentially_ okay with it. Not to mention he could never trust someone’s attraction unless they were immune to his allure but then he’d be stuck like his mother, unable to be with the person she loves because of a quirk in their innate physiology. 

He undressed and went to the restroom to untape his wings and tail and wash off the sticky residue it left behind. He stared at his reflection. His wings were ugly and twisted funny from being forced down most of the time. The leathery texture of the flesh black but semi-transparent in the light. He never thought bats were ugly for their membranous wings but his own sickened him. His wiry tail was like that of a hairless cat but the same color and texture as his wings with a spade like shape at the end, the quintessential devil tail. Both blended seamlessly with the skin where the extremities met his back. He wished he could cut them away and take back his old life, but one thing he knew innately was without them he would die. 

He flapped them to stretch out their gnarled bones back into place. Apparently given another decade or so he’d be able to fly. He almost looked forward to that if he thought they would ever get there. The little energy he was getting wasn’t enough to grow them, which might have been lucky. His mother’s wings were too big to hide regularly. It was the only reason why she stopped making trips back to the states. There were ways for infernal to travel but due to living at the springs where energy was abundant her wings were now too large to hide, having grown to their maximum size and it became difficult to travel unnoticed.

Edd touched his small horns. He _could_ cut those, he remembered his mother’s own being cropped flat to her head and hidden by her long hair braided strategically to hide what almost looked like bald spots. His weren’t big enough to cause concern yet but he could tell they were larger than they were before. 

Looking at himself like this it was obvious he was a monster. Dusk was settling outside and his eyes slitted like that of a snake and the tapetum lucidum caused them to refract light and become an eerie red. 

The view was terrifying. How could anyone find him anything but grotesque? He clutched the sink as his legs gave out and he let himself be swept up in his emotions. He sobbed until his throat was raw and his eyes burned from rubbing them. When he’d finally tired himself out he turned the mirror around and went to bed.


	4. Chapter 4

Tuesday was much the same as Monday. Kevin just seemed to know where he would be and escorted him to his classes. He’d give him long loaded looks and Edd felt his heart breaking all over again. He’d never meet someone like Kevin again he was sure, which was probably good for him. He couldn’t handle this kind of heartbreak again.

He’d woken up early with a terrible headache from his cry and sat in his living room with frozen spoons on his eyes before school started to keep them from looking too puffy but Kevin noticed on the walk to school and was being extra attentive. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Kevin asked at lunch.

“I’d be fine if you left it alone.” Edd frowned and drank from his canister. He’d gotten a soup thermos and filled it with water. It was the easiest way to make it seem like he was eating. 

“What’s up? What’re you bothering him about? I want in. As the sole annoyer of the group I need to know.” Eddy asked with an obnoxious grin.

“His eyes were puffy and red this morning.” Kevin accused. 

“I was up late reading.” Edd replied. “That’s all.”

Eddy knew he was lying. He’d gotten good at lying out of necessity but Eddy would always be able to see his best friends tells. “Hey Double D, come buy me a soda.” Their code for let’s talk.

“Fine.” Double D brought his thermos. He didn’t need anyone finding out he wasn’t actually eating. Ed was talking with Rolf and they both were invested in the weird conversation, so they let him be.

“What’s up?” Eddy asked at the machine. Edd put in his quarters, he owed him for getting him out of that situation.

“Just had a cry. You know how I am when I’m stressed.”

“And Kevin’s stressing you out?” Eddy asked. He’d have to back out of his deal with Kevin if that was the case. Page 241 of the _Handbook de Infernal_ , new succubus were prone to anxiety and increased stress could hinder their ability to take in energy as well as damage the receptors entirely. Edd should be so grateful he read for him. 

“Yes. No. I don’t know. I just… I can’t stand it. He’s a good guy. I like him. I really like him. But I just can’t reciprocate. I’m not human. How can I expect anyone to want me after finding out what I am? A monster.”

“Dude. You’re fucking amazing! You think you’re a monster? There are people, human people, who are way more monstrous than you. Murderers and politicians get married all the time.”

It took a moment for what Eddy said to sink in but when it did Edd doubled over, completely caught off guard by Eddy’s joke. “Poli- politicians!” He giggled, unable to form a sentence. 

Edd’s eyes watered from how hard he was laughing and Eddy chuckled that he was able to tickle his friend's funny bone even when he had been so miserable before. 

A little bit of stress might be necessary to maintain his self-esteem. Eddy wasn’t entirely sure how Kevin would react but from the way he talked about Edd he hoped his gamble was a good one. If Kevin broke his heart Eddy wasn’t sure his friend would be able to recover from it but Eddy saw the way Edd looked at himself and heard the way he talked about himself. Eddy really hoped that Kevin would be able to help him in a way he and Ed couldn’t. Love was something important to Edd, and he’d always been a hopeless romantic. He loved reading sappy novels but the day after he turned and the reality of what he was set in he remembered seeing Edd’s bookshelf oddly barren. 

He remembered him wailing in the tub, still bleeding, crying that he was a monster, fully expecting them to run away from him. He wouldn’t let his friend give up on something so important to him.

“What’s going on over… here.” Kevin and Rolf had come to grab drinks and Edd was still wheezing in laughter. 

Kevin froze and watched the lovely sight of Edd, completely open and smiling.

Edd wiped a tear from his eye, trying to hold back more errant giggles. He glanced over at the boys who’d just joined them and his face still grinning ear to ear.

Kevin’s eyes met Edd’s and he knew what kind of face he must have been wearing by the way Edd’s cheeks dusted pink and how he’d looked away, shy.

“Pretty-as-a-maiden Edd boy, Hello. Short-stack Ed boy, Good day.” Rolf greeted. “What mirthful joke has brought the lovely one to tears?”

Edd covered his mouth but chuckled again. “Pretty as a _what_?” He was embarrassed but Rolf didn’t seem to be flirting based on his smell.

Eddy fake primped. “Hear that Double D. Move over cause I’m the pretty one now.” This seemed to send him into another fit and he covered his mouth with both hands.

“I was obviously talking about the Double D Ed boy. Do you have potatoes for ears?” Rolf inquired.

Kevin gulped as he watched Edd try to hold back his laughter, he wanted to pull his hands away from his face and just watch him giggle, he wanted to make him smile and laugh like that. He was definitely deep in it. 

Edd calmed and took another peek at Kevin who’s face hadn’t changed. He was looking at Edd like he was entranced. It almost seemed like… when someone was pheromone locked, but he hadn’t released any, he was sure. Besides that, being that they were outside, the wind would have blown the scent away.

“Um. Kevin. You’re staring.” Edd tried to say quietly.

Kevin licked his lips and his eyes lingered on Edd’s. “Yeah. I am.” He couldn’t deny it and he couldn’t look away. 

Edd’s pink cheeks went red and he smiled shyly.

“See, even Casanova Kevin has fallen prey to the Double D Edd boys looks.”

Eddy winced at the wording and Edd’s face dropped. 

“Ah… well. I should be… getting back to Ed.” Edd fled back to the safety of the table where he’d hopefully be able to wipe the smitten look Kevin was wearing from his mind.

“Geez. Say the wrong thing much.” Eddy mumbled. “After I went an’ cheered him up and everything.”

“Why did that upset him?” Kevin asked. 

“Have I said something to offend the smartest of your group?”

“I’ll say.” Eddy turned. “Ugh. I can’t even figure out how to tell you why. I’m going back. Take your time with the drinks, will ya.” He grumbled all the way back. “Why’d he have to say ‘prey.’ Fuck.”

“I’m telling you.” Rolf said. “Sex demon. No man is so pretty and yet so flighty.”

“Come off it dude.” Kevin rolled his eyes. Whatever it was it wasn’t _that_.

* * *

The walk home was much quieter than last time. Especially since Nazz had cheer practice so it was just the two of them, Edd’s worst fear. 

What was he thinking? Kevin was his prey. He couldn’t let himself fall for someone that he would literally suck the life from if given the opportunity. He couldn’t believe he let Eddy convince him to entertain the idea he could be with him for even a moment.

“Hey, you’re looking down.” Kevin put his hand on Edd’s shoulder and he flinched like he was hit.

“S-sorry.”

Kevin lifted his hand and a hurt look crossed his face. He supposed that reaction was warranted given their past. It still stung though.

“Hey, really, what’s eating at you?”

Edd shook his head. “Sorry. I’m just sort of in my head right now.”

“What’s up? You can talk to me.” Kevin said and placed his hand back, gentler than before.

“Sorry. It’s… personal.” 

“Does it have something to do with what Rolf said?” He honestly didn’t even remember what it was but whatever it was seemed to have left Edd spiraling all day.

“I… No.”

“What did he even say?” 

“It’s really nothing.”

“Then why are you upset?”

“Like I said. It’s personal. Please leave it alone.”

“I don’t mean to be pushy. I’m just worried about you.” Kevin’s thumb rubbed back and forth on his shoulder.

“Kevin. I’ve already said I couldn’t date you. Why are you still hanging around me?” Edd shouldered his hand away. 

“Is that what’s bothering you?” Kevin looked even more hurt and Edd couldn’t stand that he put it there. As much as he wanted to push him away he couldn’t if it meant hurting his feelings.

Edd sighed. “No. I’m sorry. I’m just lashing out.” He held his head in his hand. He just needed to get home and do his homework and forget about Kevin and his smell and how he was already getting hungry again for just a few hours.

“I don’t know what this personal thing is but I hope it gets sorted soon. I want to see you smile again.” He bumped Edd’s shoulder with his and gave him a flirty smile.

Edd went pink. “Kevin, that’s-“

“Too much?” Kevin asked, quiet.

“Yeah. Probably.” Edd rubbed his arm in a sheepish manner.

“I feel like I should say sorry but the truth is I’m not.” Kevin pecked Edd’s cheek, as close to his lips as he could. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He said in front of Edd’s house.

Edd touched his cheek and frowned. He just had to go and do something so sweet. Edd went inside and passed his fathers book, still on the table, that he hadn’t touched since Sunday.

“Just what I need. Another reminder of what I am.” He knocked the book to the floor.

He sighed and picked it up. He looked at the dedication and hugged it to his chest. He looked at the table of contents and for the one labeled Succubus and Incubus and finally started reading.

_Maybe the most misunderstood of the Infernal is the Succubus and Incubus. Believed originally to be male and female counterparts that is not the case. In fact they are two closely related subspecies of homo Inferus. Of the Concubus subspecies. They can be any sex, the difference is that a Succubus gains their energy from receiving sexual intercorse while Incubus giving. However something important to note is that they cannot feed off of one another, as they would just be passing the same energy between them._

Stuff he already knew. He skipped ahead.

_Members of Concubus, like most infernit, are born nearly identical to humans. As they reach maturity they develop their ‘demonic’ abilities. Maturity can happen anywhere from 18 to 20 and usually is reliant on their surroundings. A mature Concubus with little contact with sexually mature humans will develop more slowly, however the more contact they have the faster they will develop._

The club. He might not have started all this if he’d just known not to go out. If he’d just read up on what he was he could have avoided this for another 2 years! He wanted so badly to ignore what he was that he let himself ignore information at his fingertips.

He read through the rest of the chapter but there wasn’t much more information that helped him.

_For an in depth explanation of succubus, incubus or the concubus as a whole you can read Handbook de Infernal._

He got up and went to the bookshelf. Handbook, handbook, handbook… not there?

He looked through all the books on the shelf. Not there. Did he accidentally put it on the bookshelf for things he’s finished? He looked and no. Where was it? Was it the only one he didn’t have?

He resolved to buy another copy next time he was out and started his homework.

* * *

Wednesday morning Edd woke up achingly hungry. Hunger didn’t even feel the same he realized. It used to be in his stomach, didn’t it? Now he felt it in his chest and it made his whole body ache. 

He stepped out of his house and Kevin jogged by. Just his luck.

“You’re up early.”

Kevin’s fresh scent hit him hard. The moment he noticed Edd it was like he started radiating attraction and it drew him in.

“Hello? Are you even awake yet?” Kevin asked with a chuckle. Yesterday he was able to sneak a cheek kiss without any backlash and with Edd so out of it he took a chance at a repeat. 

When his lips made contact with his cheek Edd grabbed his sleeve and stared at Kevin’s lips in a trance. His breath caught, Edd’s eyes looked… wrong, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care because he smelled amazing. 

“Double D?” Kevin asked. He moved forward and their lips hovered close.

Edd blinked at his name and his eyes returned to normal. He snatched his hand away like he was burned. That never happened before. Was he getting worse? He _needed_ to find that book.

“Sorry I don’t know what came over me.” Edd backed up. The scent that was holding Kevin in place dulled and he followed to try and catch it again.

“What happened to your eyes just then?” Kevin took another curious step forward to get a better look onto the ocean blue depths.

“I don’t know.” Edd touched just under his eye. Had they just slit in full light?

Kevin smirked. “Were you hoping for a kiss on the lips? I saw you staring.”

Edd blushed. “ _Kevin_.”

“I know, I know. Too much.” Kevin, already close, kissed his cheek again. 

“Kevin!” Edd yelped and covered his cheek with his hand. 

“Worth it.” Kevin chuckled. “Did you not get enough sleep or something?”

Edd shook his head. “I must not have.”

“You do seem kind of sick again. You should stay home if you’re not feeling good.”

“No. I’m fine. I can’t miss today. I have a test.”

“I’m sure your teacher would understand if you tell them you’re sick. It’s not like you’ve missed a day before.”

“I’m not. Just… tired.” 

“If you start to feel worse you should go home. It’s not good to overexert yourself. Just because you’re super smart doesn’t mean you aren’t still human, sometimes you need to let yourself rest.”

Edd felt himself flinch at the word _human._

“I’m fine.” Edd said without feeling. “I’m…” _Not human_ , “I don’t need to rest.” 

He spun on his heel and started the short walk to school.

“What did I say?” Kevin asked.

“Nothing. I'm not sick and I don’t want to talk about it.”

Kevin wished he understood what set Edd off. It always seemed like the most innocuous phrases. Anyone else he would have been annoyed at the sudden drop in mood for seemingly no reason but this was Double D. Rational, reasonable, smart and level headed. If anyone had a good reason to suddenly switch tracks like that it was him. There was just some logic he wasn’t getting.

“I know I’ve been picking at it. I’m sorry. I’m just worried about you. You barely eat, you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re running a fever, and now zoning out. I just wish you would talk to me.”

“Why?” Edd stopped. “Because you suddenly developed feelings for me out of nowhere? I don’t… get you.”

“I don’t get you either, but I want to.” Kevin made a move to grab Edd’s hand but Edd didn’t let him.

He wanted to talk to him, he really did, but the word _human_ bounced around his head and he couldn’t take it. 

“Don’t you have a run to finish? I’ll see you at lunch.” Edd felt dirty doing it but he dusted his pheromones to momentarily freeze Kevin so he could make an escape. And freeze Kevin did. He expected a moment or two but Kevin stayed in place far longer than Edd expected. Edd waved his hand in front of Kevin and he barely blinked. As worried as Edd was he was even more frightened. What had he done?

By the time Kevin came to his senses Edd was gone. Kevin blinked in confusion. How long was he just standing there? He looked at his watch. It had probably been about 5 minutes but that was… there was no way he’d just stood there for 5 minutes without reason. What happened? 

Kevin tried to find Edd between classes but he slipped away every time. He’d been hard to track before but now he was just… gone. He made good on his promise tough and showed up to lunch.

“Hey, about this morning. I’m sorry I got pushy with you.” Kevin said.

“I know. You just care. I get it. I’m sorry too.” Edd seemed much more normal but he did seem unsteady on his feet.

After working so hard to avoid Kevin all morning, as glad as he was about him actually making it to school despite whatever he’d done this morning he’d been stressing himself out which was making him _more_ hungry. He was truly starting to consider going out tonight but he shuddered at the thought. Besides a Wednesday night would be slim pickings and probably not worth it. 

“Are you-” he remembered how annoyed he got this morning and stopped, “hungry?” Kevin finished.

Edd held up his soup canister. “I’m fine.” He appreciated the swift turn. He didn’t want everyone at the table to gang up on him and tell him to go to the nurse. 

Kevin felt conflicted. He wanted to give Edd space if that’s what he needed but he also wanted to take care of him. 

Kevin reached his pinky out and brushed Edd’s on the table. He just wanted to feel close with him. It was like he was so far away even though they’d known each other since childhood.

Edd didn’t seem to notice as Nazz had started a conversation about the upcoming Friday GSA meeting with him. Kevin decided to be a bit bolder and hooked their pinkies together.

Edd glanced at Kevin who was looking at him again. He tried to gently move his hand but Kevin didn’t let him get away this time and instead threaded their fingers together. 

“Kevin, um, I’d like my hand back.” Edd said after Nazz had flitted to a new conversation like the social butterfly she was.

“I’d like to keep holding it. Seems like we’re at an impasse.” His boldness increasing the longer Edd didn’t snatch his hand away.

“We’re in the middle of the courtyard.”

“And?”

“And anyone can see you holding my hand.”

“And?” Kevin repeated.

Edd blushed. “And anyone would think we’re together if you don’t let go.”

“Are you embarrassed?” Kevin asked. He ran his thumb over the back of his hand.

“It wouldn’t be true.” Edd tried to pull his hand away again.

“Guess what I got in the mail yesterday?” Kevin asked, not letting his hand go and changing the topic.

“I... What? I don’t know.” 

Kevin used his other hand to put a folded paper on the table and finally let Edd have his hand back so he could pick up the paper.

“An acceptance letter?”

“I’m going to Syracuse.” 

“Congratulations!” Edd smiled wide, anything to do with school and higher education excited him and Kevin knew that. “Syracuse is a great school. That’s amazing.”

“It’s only an hour from Cornell.” Kevin said, staring into Edd’s eyes.

Edd realized the implication. “Oh. I guess… it is.” 

“I don’t think that’s the only worry you have. But…” Kevin brushed their hands together again. “I wanted you to be the first to know… just in case.”

Edd felt an ache in his chest. Kevin wanting him to be the first to know was… a lot. 

“R-really? Oh. Uh…” Edd wasn’t sure how to reply to that.

“I feel like I might deserve a congratulatory kiss.” Kevin smirked and held his hand again.

Edd blushed and looked away. “Kevin.”

Kevin pulled his hand to kiss Edd’s knuckles. “I know. Too much.”

Edd’s face moved through several emotions and landed on something akin to grief. Kevin wanted to know so badly what he was thinking.

“Excuse me. I need to use the restroom before class.” Edd fled the table. Kevin watched with confusion. 

“You’re really coming on strong.” Eddy sat where Edd just vacated. “Keep it up. You’re breaking down his defenses.”

“It feels like I’m taking steps back.”

“It’ll feel like that. You’re breaking through some deep seated insecurities. If it’s too hard for you though I’d give up now before you get any further.”

“I’m not giving up.” Kevin growled. “I just wish I knew what I was up against. Like why is he insecure? Sometimes I say the wrong thing but then I can’t figure out what part of it upset him. Can you tell me _anything_ that might help?”

Eddy sighed. “Sorry. Nope. It’s… well it’s definitely not something you could guess either.” He looked thoughtful. “I can say, he’s going to get sicker until the weekend.”

“So, he is sick?” Kevin asked.

Eddy tapped his fingers on the table. “Nope. He’s not exactly well, but he’s not sick either.”

“Well that’s good.” He sighed in relief.

“Just keep it up. I know he likes you too. He just needs to know that you’re serious.”

Kevin’s heart leapt in joy. “Did he say something?”

Eddy snorted. “Yeah. He said he likes you, ‘really likes’ you.” He said with air quotes. “Don’t let it get to your head.”

Kevin smiled into his drink. That gave him renewed vigor to continue his attack. 

“I’m gonna go check on him.” Eddy said, standing. 

* * *

Edd took a deep shaky breath when he got into a stall. Kevin’s insistence was working too well. He pressed his palms into his eyes. The fluorescents of the school were causing him pain since this morning when his eyes slit. He remembered reading that he was technically a dusk and dawn creature. His aching eyes only served to remind him he wasn’t human and he shuffled to sit on the toilet, after laying down a tissue toilet cover, he wouldn’t let his pants touch the disgusting public seat, even if he couldn’t catch human disease he wouldn’t test it.

After a few minutes of wallowing Eddy came in and knocked when he didn’t reply Eddy spoke.

“I see your shoes.”

Edd sighed and opened the door. “Hello.” 

“You look like shit dude.” 

“Rolf thinks I’m pretty.” Edd chuckled.

“So does Kevin.” Eddy smirked.

Edd’s face dropped again. “Don’t remind me.”

“I dunno. I think you should give him a chance.” Eddy leaned against the sink and raised an eyebrow at the shift in mood.

“I can’t. You know I can’t.”

“Why not? He’s obviously into you and it would be so much easier for you to have one person you were sleeping with. I know how much you hate going out.”

“That’s exactly the problem. I’d be _using_ him. And besides that how am I supposed to know he likes me and not my pheromones? I can’t… I can’t force _him._ I won’t.”

“Because you’re not scenting at all and he’s still all over you. And you ain’t forcing anybody.”

“Scenting… why do you know that term?”

Eddy fished in his backpack and pulled out the book Edd had been looking for last night. 

“Because I’ve done my homework. I swiped this back on the night you turned. It was super boring so I stopped but I started reading it again because Saturday you ‘scented’ by accident and it scared the shit out of me. I’d never felt your pheromones before but look at this-” he opened the book to a marked page, “your pheromones only pull in people that would already be attracted and scare away anyone that isn’t. I know you know straight guys and women don’t tend to come near but it’s not _just_ because they can’t tell. Usually it frightens them away. But the part you need to see is that you can’t make someone that’s not attracted to you interested. Your pheromones get attention or defend you. That’s it.”

“You read this?” Edd read the highlighted parts and Eddy was right. He flipped through and noticed that it wasn’t just the Concubus chapters that had highlights. “You read the entire thing?”

“Yeah well, it seemed necessary. And once you got past the boring language it’s actually pretty interesting stuff.”

Eddy had read what was ostensibly an incredibly dry book, for him. He chuckled warmly. “Thank you.”

“But you get it right? You haven’t forced anyone.”

“But… They’re always out of it.”

“Yeah, your secondary pheromones.” Eddy flipped the page. “It makes people kinda drunk.”

“Secondary pheromones?” Edd read where Eddy pointed.

“Like ants you have different kinds of pheromones. One for attraction and one for stunning. But when they’re mixed it creates a whole new effect, whoever’s under can’t remember what happened. It lowers inhibition and increases pleasure and eventually knocks them out for escape.”

“Fascinating. I never thought about the connection to insect pheromones.” Edd read the passage with wonder. He must have used those stunning pheromones this morning. “But this also proves how unethical it would be to use on Kevin.”

“Eh-eh. Keep reading. The secondary pheromones only kick in when you don’t trust the guy. If you like Kevin the way I think you do you shouldn’t have to worry about that. The real question is- do you trust him?”

Edd stared at the book Eddy held open. 

_Where Primary pheromones are versatile acting as both a sex pheromone used to attract compatible humans and as an alarm pheromone, scaring off any weaker willed competition, secondary pheromones are used to stun a target for a quick get away. These secondary pheromones, henceforth called allomones, are primarily used in conjunction with primary pheromones when a concubus doesn’t find their prey to be a suitable repeat partner. The mixture of pheromone and allomone causes confusion and an almost drunk-like delirium in the target but heightens pleasure. Those who’ve been afflicted do not tend to remember anything from the time the pheromone mixture takes effect._

Trustworthy? Did he trust Kevin with his secret? He didn’t think Kevin would be interested anymore after finding out, obviously, but did he think Kevin would tell anyone? No. He knew Kevin wouldn’t and that was the worst part. He trusted him and that made everything so much worse.

“I don’t know.” Edd lied. 

“Well, I suggest figuring it out. You see how Kevin looks at you. If you don’t trust him then you can’t keep leading him on and you need to let him know he doesn’t have a chance.”

“May I take my book back?”

“Sure. I’m borrowing another when I come over later though. This one references a book of research papers translated from German and I want to read it.”

Edd smiled. “Of course!” Edd had to admit he was incredibly happy at Eddy’s new scholarly interest. “My father will be excited to know you like his books when he gets back for Christmas.”

“Your dads coming back? Oh shit. I have a ton of questions.” He took back the book and flipped the page on Sirens. “I was wondering if there was any link between melusine and sirens. They both can only mate with humans, like concubus, and the siren song seems to have an odd effect on the brain but look here- melusine use a hum- but there’s not much information on them in this one. Don’t they kinda make you think of freshwater and saltwater fish.”

“You’re actually really interested in this.” Edd said with wonder. He’d never seen his friend so interested in anything that didn’t have anything to do with with money.

“Like I said it’s actually really interesting.” He shrugged and handed the book back sheepishly.

The bell rang. “I’ll see you after school. Go say bye to your boyfriend or he’ll be worried.” Eddy said with a snicker.

Edd rolled his eyes and put his book in his bag. 

“Oh hey.” Kevin said meeting him at the door. “You guys were taking a while. I came to check on you.”

Edd looked at Kevin with new eyes. He liked this. He liked that Kevin looked at him like he was something special and worth looking at. As soon as Kevin knew what he was he wouldn’t be able to do that anymore. He didn’t want to lead him on but he didn’t want to end this yet even if he knew it was doomed.

He leaned up and pecked Kevin’s cheek. “Congratulations on the acceptance letter.” He said and fled to his next class.

Kevin smiled wide. He wanted to jump in joy and shout from the rooftops but settled for punching the air. That would keep him going all day for sure. 

* * *

The happiness that rolled off Kevin at the peck had affected Edd. He wasn’t expecting the incredibly strong reaction so instantly and his hunger coiled in his chest at the burst of emotion. As much as he liked that he’d made Kevin so happy he knew he’d made a bad decision. He was now woozy as his body started to make pheromone he refused to release. It subsisted throughout the rest of the day, especially the more he thought about how cruel it was to lead Kevin on. He’d tried to avoid him on the way home but Kevin seemed to have caught on to how he’d been escaping him and when he asked to leave early to use the restroom Kevin was hanging outside his class. 

Kevin’s blinding smile at seeing him made him feel even worse for trying to avoid him.

“Leaving class early? Not trying to shake me again, are you?” He was leaning on the lockers with his hands in his pockets.

“Of course not.” he lied and Kevin could see his shoulders tense. He wanted to be hurt but he was still flying high from that kiss from earlier. “What’re you doing out of class so early?”

Kevin shrugged. “I wanted to see you and couldn’t focus.”

Edd bit his lip. “That’s no good. If you don’t do well Syracuse won’t let you in. We both know how early acceptance works. If you fail any classes because of me I’d be very upset.”

Kevin gave him a lopsided grin. “Aw, you care about me.”

Edd blushed and went to walk past him, if they were going to be out early they might as well beat the rush. “Of course I do.” 

Kevin caught his hand before he could pass and pulled him to face him. Edd was light and Kevin underestimated his own strength and he toppled into his chest heavily. Kevin was delighted but Edd felt overwhelmed by the smell making him feel lightheaded.

“I care about you too.” He whispered into Edd’s ear.

“Kevin…” Edd tried to move backwards and away but Kevin’s arm had come around his waist.

“I know.” He said but didn’t let go. He pecked Edd’s lips and gave him a look like he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world. “Too much.”

Edd held back a whimper and put his hands on Kevin’s chest to push himself off but the world tilted on its axis and Edd’s vision went white at the motion. Kevin’s scent filled the space behind his eyes. He should have been able to last at least another 2 days. Last time he lasted a whole week! But then he wasn’t stressed out by constantly being surrounded by someone so attracted to him.

“Whoa hey? Shit.” Kevin said. Edd’s vision came and went and he slumped against him, holding back as much as he could of his pheromone. Knowing his allure only attracted attention didn’t exactly stop him from fearing what would happen if he let it out at school. “Can you hear me?” 

Edd tried to nod but the motion blacked his vision.

He woke up being carried and the halls were being filled with leaving students staring at the sight of the school jock carrying the valedictorian. They stared with interest and Edd shied away from the attention.

“What? Where?” He asked.

“I’m bringing you to the nurse. You fainted.”

“No- I don’t need-” he tried to wriggle out of his grip but went green. “Urp.”

“See. Come on, calm down.” Kevin said in a low voice, trying to still Edd’s nerves. Kevin knew he wouldn’t like being carried in front of everyone. He had hoped he’d stay out until they were there.

The way he was being held worried Edd. His wings were too close to being touched and he tried to shift himself as subtly as possible but instead of his hand sliding lower he readjusted.

“Hey, don’t move so much. Even if you’re not sick you just fainted.”

“I can walk.” Edd tried but even as he said it he knew it wasn’t true.

“Yeah, right. Just let me help you, besides we’re here already.” Kevin said and ran his thumb back and forth in a soothing manner.

Edd was starting to get a migraine from having Kevin so near and yet not feeding. “I really don’t need the nurse. I should just go home and lay down. I’m sure it’s just because I’m not getting enough sleep.”

“Yeah well, rest in the nurse's office for a bit and we can walk home after.” They were already at the door.

Edd bit his lip. He had to bring out the big guns. “You could just carry me home.”

Kevin stilled and gave him a long, loaded look. “You’d let me carry you all the way home?” He brought his face in close. Edd felt his breath on his lips and swallowed thickly.

He didn’t know which would be worse for him. The nurse seeing his high temperature or Kevin feeling his wings under his shirt. Worse Edd could finally be broken down if he couldn’t hold back his hunger any longer.

“Fine. I’ll rest in the nurse’s office.”

Kevin pouted, obviously liking the other option better, but opened the door anyway. Worry winning over lust.

“Oh, Eddward? Are you alright?” The Nurse, Mrs. Manos stood and guided Kevin to drop Edd off in the bed. 

“I’m fine. Just sleepy.”

The nurse’s eyebrow raised into view over her dark sunglasses she always wore. Her alternative look was always jarring for a school nurse but she was pretty cool.

“He fainted in the hall.” Kevin said and Edd glared. Kevin shrugged. “Could’ve let me carry you.” He whispered.

“Okay, well Kevin go ahead and go on home.” She said, taking out a thermometer.

“I’d rather stick around and wait for Double D, ma’am.”

“I’m not allowed to share personal health information with other students. If you wish to wait for Eddward, you’ll do so in the hall.” She chided and Kevin looked at Edd, conflicted.

“Go on ahead. We'll see each other tomorrow.” Edd said, thankful the nurse was strict about rules.

“Call me if you end up needing a ride home or anything. Okay?”

“I’ll be fine, but okay.”

Kevin glanced at the nurse and the door. He didn’t want to go at all.

“Okay…” Kevin leaned to plant a peck on Edd’s too warm forehead. “Just… call me. Even if you don’t need a ride. Let me know you’re okay.”

“I’ll text you when I’m home.” Edd gave a wave.

Kevin left and the nurse popped the thermometer into Edd’s mouth. 

“108.” She said without worry.

“I’m not sick. I just, Uh, had a hot drink?” Edd tried.

“Of course you’re not sick. That’s a perfectly reasonable temperature for an infernal.” She said.

“Wait- you know?” Edd sat up but his head swam.

“I wasn’t sure until now but I had my suspicions the day you resigned from aid duties.” 

“But- how?” He asked. 

The nurse chuckled. “We have a way of noticing each other.”

“You’re a succubus too?” He definitely couldn’t tell but he also recognized he couldn’t smell her- at all. Even those he couldn’t feed off of he could tell their emotions.

“Ha, no. Just Infernal. I’m a gorgon.” She lowered her glasses and her eyes were a staggering yellow. “Don’t worry. My stunning gaze only works on humans.”

“I never considered there’d be other infernal at school!” The excitement left him blinking away the dots in his vision. A Gorgon! Her shaved head and perpetual sunglasses suddenly made sense.

“Just us as far as I know.” She said. “When did you last eat?” She asked.

“Um. Sunday night.” He blushed, talking to an authority figure about his sexual activities wasn’t something he felt comfortable doing.

“You shouldn’t be so malnourished. A well fed succubus should be able to go up to 2 weeks without food.” She messed with her pen, twirling it in thought. 

“How can you tell I’m malnourished?” 

“I can smell it on you. Your weakness activates my prey drive.” She hissed and tapped her nose. 

“Uh?” Edd asked, mildly fearful.

“Don’t worry. I don’t eat live, or sentient, prey.”

“I… have been having troubles. I don’t know why it seems like I’m not staying fed for very long.”

“Is that Kevin boy your partner?” Mrs. Manos asked.

“Oh no. No, no, no. He doesn’t know at all.” Edd put his hands up.

“Then who do you feed from?”

“Usually just anyone I pull from different gay bars.” Edd shrugged and crossed his arms, expecting her to scold him.

“Hm. I’ve never heard of such a problem. Though succubus aren’t exactly my area of expertise.” She tapped her fingers on her cheek.

“So if there’s no others at school are there other Infernal in Peach Creek?” Edd was happy she didn’t mention anything about it, but he guessed Infernal had different morals and feeding at seedy bars didn’t register as anything weird for them.

“There's a small community. We mostly all know each other so it was a shock to smell demon on you.”

“Did you know my mom before she left then?” He asked hopefully.

“Sorry, I’ve never met any other succubus.”

Edd frowned. He wondered if she would have left when she did if she had other demons to talk to. 

“If she didn’t know about any other infernal here my dad probably didn’t either.”

“Is your dad Infernal too?” She asked, confused. Succubus were known for only being able to mate with humans.

“No. He’s a scientist that studies demonology.” He said.

“Wait, Eddward Vincent- is _Antony_ Vincent your father?” She asked. Her eyes were wide, showing the detail in her snake-like irises.

“Yes! Have you met him?” Edd perked up.

“No, but _everyone_ in the circle reads his books. We’d always wondered if he was Demon. I mean he knew some of the deeper intricacies of Gorgon biology that have been lost or never properly researched. He practically saved my daughter’s life when she was born. We had no idea that some babies can become ill in the egg.”

“Oh. I didn’t realize. I mean I knew his work was important but I never knew it was _that_ important.” Edd’s heart swelled with pride that his father’s work was so appreciated. He knew that humans who didn’t know the truth of demons were hateful of his work but the fact Infernal actually loved his books made him so happy.

“So he’s human? I’m surprised but I guess an Infernal family makes just as much sense.”

“Yes. When he met my mother he switched majors from microbiology to Occult studies.”

“That’s so sweet. He must love your mother a lot to do that.”

Edd smiled sadly. “Yes. They love each other very much.”

“So you must be newly fledged. I never smelt it on you the entire time you were the aid.” 

“Yes, about two months now.”

“Hmm. And your fathers books never mention anything like this? What does your mother say?”

“I…” he winced. “Don’t know. I haven’t really read… the succubus parts.”

“You haven’t? Why the hell not?” She asked. Her informal tone was almost funny. He wasn’t used to adults talking to him like a friend but she was someone who never changed how she talked to anyone. It was somewhat comforting.

“I’ve just been…” he fiddled with the sheets, “Embarrassed, I guess. I don’t like what I have to do.”

Mrs. Manos moved from the chair next to him on the bed. “Human media does love to portray sex and demons pretty negatively.” She put her hand on his knee. “It’s especially hard because unlike most other Infernal you practically live as a human for the first fifth of your life. It must be difficult to get used to this while doing something that humans see as a very important milestone.”

Edd teared up. He’d tried not to cry but having someone really understand and put into words what he was going through was so cathartic. He nodded and sniffled.

She leaned over to hug him. “Poor thing. And with your mother away. Well, How would you like to meet the rest of the circle?” She pet his head. 

He nodded into her shoulder, hugging back. “I would like that.” Edd said. 

Mrs. Manos rubbed his back in small soothing circles. “Oh, your wings?” She asked and patted his sides. “Why aren’t they tucked?” 

“They move around too much.” He said and lifted his shirt to show them taped down.

“Well you were always easy to startle. I can imagine you dropping a book and them snapping open.” She chuckled. “Come un-taped when we meet up with the others though.”

“Why?” He asked and wiped his face of the few stray tears he shed.

“We all come together uncloaked. It’s the only time we can be completely free with others so we like to take advantage of it. Besides that, it shows trust between us.”

“When do you meet?”

“Whenever we can. Usually someone here or there can’t make it but I think this warrants an emergency meeting, I can probably get a few of us together by tomorrow. You’ll probably meet them in groups though. There’s about 14 of us but we all have different schedules, and six of them are children, my daughter included. They’re all going to be so interested in meeting you though.”

After a long conversation they added each other to their contacts list. Mrs. Manos offered him a ride home which he eagerly agreed to. He couldn’t handle seeing Kevin again today but also didn’t want to walk on his still shaking legs. 

He left the car. “Thank you Mrs. Manos.”

“Please, just Em to you. I’ll come get you tomorrow after school okay? How is 4?”

“That works, thank you. Mrs- er. Em.”

He dropped his bag when he got inside and crashed on the couch for a moment. The reprieve of scent was incredibly refreshing and conversation with someone who wasn’t just compassionate to his plight but empathetic was something he didn’t know he needed.

He picked up his phone and saw a text from Kevin.

hey<

hope your ok<

text me <3<

I didn’t mean… <

just text me please<

Edd smiled at the little heart and the nervous texts following. He was going to tell Kevin today they shouldn’t walk home together but the caring texts made his heart flop in his chest. The last text was nearly an hour ago. Kevin was probably still fretting now.

>I’m fine and home now. 

>Mrs. Manos drove me.

>Also you used the wrong your. 

>You wanted to use you’re.

im glad your okay<

I missed you…<

get good rest tonight <

also your a nerd<

Edd chuckled. 

>Your is belonging to.

>You’re is a contraction of you and are.

>Really this is kindergarten stuff.

Well your works because you’re _my_ nerd<

Edd hovered over the keyboard for a while with pink cheeks, his heart fluttering. He didn’t know what to say and put his phone down to bury his face in the throw pillow. Kevin’s very sweet, very wrong grammar was… endearing.

Across the street Kevin saw the ‘...’ disappear and he too buried his head in his pillow. He knew it was too cheesy.

Sorry that was dumb<

Just<

Forget I said that<

Edd watched his screen light up and peeked. He laughed at the very self conscious follow up. It was nice to know Kevin wasn’t always so smooth and put together.

Not that he was going to let himself reciprocate… he rolled over. He wasn’t. He didn’t need to drag Kevin into his whole… thing. Even if he was thankful for his meddling. Going to the nurses was the best thing that's happened since he came into his demonic inheritance. 

>I missed you too.

He typed out but decided against it. He went to delete but accidentally pressed send instead. He gaped at his phone and groaned. 

Kevin looked at the text and grinned. He laid back and smiled at the ceiling. Maybe he wasn’t taking one step forward and two steps back.


End file.
